Equilibrium
by LiberumMundi
Summary: A story of light and dark in the human heart following my OC as he is assisted by Riku, Kairi, and a whole cast of characters in a war between the struggling light and the overwhelming dark. An alternate take on Kingdom Hearts, rated M for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

I

Through the winding streets of a quaint and quiet town flew a stately raven, the dark violet of its feathers shining in the warm sun. High above the small homes and markets it flew, spreading its wings wide to catch a gust, longing for its freedom to glide. Its head twitched convulsively, peering around the vast town in search of a food source. An alley seemed promising as the scent of discarded human food reached the raven's shady black beak. In one swift descent, the raven landed amidst the garbage lining a dumpster. It began to peck swiftly at various discarded foods, filling itself on crumbs and small portions. One man's garbage was another's treasure, a code the raven lived by. However, as his feast carried on, the bird caught glimpse of a figure in the dark. Abandoning its dinner, the raven curiously hopped to the closest edge to the figure, tilting its head to get a better look. Lying face down in the alley was a human boy, seeming lifeless to the bird. The raven hopped down from its perch, inching ever closer to the boy's outstretched arm. Only two pecks onto the boy's arm did the raven manage before a groan scared the bird away. A violet feather floated down from the raven and landed gently next to the boy's cheek. With yet another groan, the boy rolled onto his back, lazily feeling his face for any scratches or cuts. Finding nothing, he opened his deep blue eyes and peered out down the alley.

"What happened?" The boy's words joined the wind, but met no ears. With a frown, the boy examined his body, finding no visible wounds or tears in his clothing. Perplexed and aching, the teenager got onto his feet and stretched out his throbbing limbs. The boy pressed forward, his only goal to find out where he was and how he'd ended up there. Stepping out from the alley, the boy found himself in the middle of a street. Locals looked at him with condemning frowns, the boy thinking he must look like a homeless thug or dissolute drunk. Embarrassment and worry poured over the boy and, in a vain attempt to hide himself, pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. His eyes wandered, scanning the various shops, bars, and homes as he made his way down the sunbaked street. What he was in search for he wasn't entirely sure, but a place of importance, such as a town hall, wouldn't hurt. As he walked, the feeling that someone was following close behind pulled at him. To his sides he saw no one suspicious and the boy didn't want to worsen his image by looking behind him like some schizophrenic madman. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"You lost?" the voice that caught his ear was young and feminine. The boy turned around to meet the eyes of a redheaded teenage girl. She was even with his height, with winding curves and waist-length, cherry red hair. Her eyes reflected the same deep blue of his own and a pearly white smile showed no signs of hostility. Her clothes, torn and aged from what the boy guessed were years of hiking and climbing, did not match the girl beneath them. "What? Can't you speak, kid?" the taunt in the redhead's voice caused the boy to frown with displeasure.

"I can talk!" snapped the boy. To his surprise, the redhead giggled and shook her head.

"Of course you can, I was only fooling with you! Anyway, where're you from? I've never seen you around here." Confusion and wonder lingered in her voice as she question his origin.

"I live in a town called Tranquility. I was there just a couple hours ago, but then… something happened and I woke up lying face down in an alley!"

"That explains the smell!" the girl's nose rumpled in disgust. The smell seeping from the boy's clothes hadn't reached him until now, and it was rank.

"Ew, it smells like I swam in garbage!" the boy remarked, quickly stripping off his jacket.

"Tell me about it! Look, come back home with me and I'll get you fixed up, alright? We'll get this whole mess sorted out." The sudden offer took the boy by surprise.

"Uhm… yeah, okay. Thanks. By the way, my name's Sorochi." The boy went to outstretch his hand for a handshake, but his recent alley nap made him think twice.

"Name's Kairi, and don't sweat it. You're clearly lost and I'm not going to let you walk around town smelling like that!" Kairi waved her hand in front of her nose. Sorochi nodded and followed as Kairi turned on her heel and started off down the street. The first few minutes of travel consisted of small talk, mostly about various shops and important persons passing by. One of them was a man named Ryan Edwards, the district's constable and a no-nonsense kind of man. Kairi reminisced of a time when her brother Riku got caught painting graffiti on the walls of Ryan's office. Riku had to scrub every last brick, painted or not, until it was as good as new. The story gave the teens a good laugh and made Sorochi a little more comfortable with Kairi.

"So, Kairi. Where exactly do you live?" Sorochi asked as they passed through the main gates of the market district.

"Oh, just a few blocks down from here. My parents have a twenty acre property outside of town. My dad is the mayor, Cal Redmond, and my mother works for the Board of Health. Our family tends to rake in some money." Oddly enough, Kairi didn't seem to be bragging, her tone casual.

"Huh, so I imagine the house isn't all that hard to miss then?" Sorochi was a little taken aback by the wealth of this rugged girl's family.

"Oh definitely not! Sometimes I feel like I'll get lost in it, and I've lived there for fifteen years!" answered Kairi, excited to reveal her home to her new acquaintance. Sorochi gave a hearty chuckle in response, the thoughts accompanying Kairi's words amusing him. Kairi smiled softly and looked forward, gazing out at the mountains on the horizon. Just over a small hill stood a three-story mansion flanked by a massive field. Sorochi's jaw dropped at the sight of the sprawling property; the ornate decorations of the house were complimented with beautiful shades of blue and gold. Kairi giggled at the boy's awe, grabbing ahold of his wrist and pulling him along. "C'mon, we don't have all day to gawk!" she exclaimed, picking up her pace to a light jog. Sorochi caught up with her as they made their way up a cobblestone path to the oak porch. The condition of the oak reflected the work of a master caretaker, making Sorochi hesitant to set foot on such a well-kempt surface. Without a word or a thought, Kairi pulled the awestruck boy up the stairs and toward the massive oak doors. Kairi took hold of the right door and swung it open, stepping aside to allow Sorochi first entrance. Stepping in, Sorochi caught wind of sweet strawberries, one he'd noticed earlier on Kairi. The boy then focused on the large foyer ahead of him, held up by four thick marble columns in each corner. The marble staircase wound up from the middle before splitting off into two sections of the house. The light blue paint, similar to what Sorochi had seen outside, completed the room and the various stone animal statues and china almost overwhelmed the town boy. Kairi stepped in behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder and sliding just a few steps in front of him.

"Dad, I'm home! I brought a friend! He's gotten himself lost and needs a place to stay!" Kairi called, her voice echoing off the walls. Footsteps from a doorway on the left caught Sorochi's attention and the boy turn. There he caught sight of a man well into his forties, but the curse of age had little effect on the man's handsome complexion. His deep brown hair matched a small dusting of hair adorning his chin and complimented the man's powerful eyes. The black suit he wore was accented with gold fabric and buttons, displaying his position in both the home and the town.

"H… Hello, sir." Sorochi's words came out in a nervous stutter.

"Greetings, and welcome to Sebring. I am Cal Redmond, the mayor of this town and father of the lovely girl you just met." The mayor held out his hand in greeting. Sorochi nervously took it, his palms sweaty and his grip weak in comparison to the mayor's.

"My name is Sorochi. Sorochi Usaki, sir," greeted Sorochi, managing a smile.

"Pleased to meet you. Not to offend, but from the smell of it, it seems you've been in a bit of a pickle. Tell you what, I'll have your clothes washed, get you some new ones, and let you stay here and share with us what happened. What do you say?" Cal's offer was as sincere as his voice.

"That'd be wonderful, sir. Thank you." Sorochi gave a nod of agreement and grinned.

"Don't mention it. It's my job as mayor of this town to treat everyone with hospitality. Kairi, go fetch your brother and ask him for clothes. As for you Sorochi, you head upstairs. Third door on the right staircase is the shower. You get cleaned up and I'll have Kairi bring you clothes." Kairi gave a nod to her father's orders and walked up the right staircase and into the hall. Sorochi nodded as well, eager to eradicate his smell. Following Cal's directions, Sorochi found a white door with a brass handle. Opening it revealed a large bathroom, complete with a full bathtub, separate shower, a two-person sink, and a toilet all beautiful porcelain. Sorochi stepped in and silently shut the door behind him. He unbuckled his boots and set them by the door, the rest of his clothes following soon after. The entire room was cool, causing Sorochi to shiver as he entered the shower. As the warm water doused him, Sorochi relaxed, sorting through his mind to see if there were any clues as to how he got to a town four days away in a matter of seconds. Not a memory or thought came to him and the boy left the shower with a sigh. Drying off, Sorochi saw that Kairi had left him a pair of black jeans, a white belt, and a cherry red shirt, each too big for Sorochi. Sorochi tightened the belt around his waist the best he could and chuckled at himself in the mirror. Leaving the door cracked behind him, Sorochi headed back to the foyer. He could hear voices, one Kairi's and the other who he presumed to be Riku. As Sorochi made his way down the stairs he caught sight of the boy. A tall, silver-haired teen, athletically built and quite obviously a couple years older than Sorochi and Kairi. Riku looked up to see Sorochi, Kairi turning around to follow her brother's gaze.

"Well, you look a lot better! Sorochi this is Riku," said Kairi as Sorochi reached the two siblings.

"Nice to meet you. I heard you're from Tranquility?" Riku questioned, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Yes, I am. I have no clue how I got here or when. I'm hoping to find that out," answered Sorochi, scratching his head with a frown.

"Yeah. You'll figure it out, and we'll be here to help." Riku placed his hand on Sorochi's shoulder and gave a smile. Sorochi returned it and watched as Riku headed up toward his room. Kairi took hold of Sorochi's hand, startling the boy, and started to pull him along.

"C'mon, my mom's got a beautiful garden in the backyard! You'll love it!" Kairi was full of glee and almost dragged Sorochi with her as she walked. Sorochi gained his footing and laughed, eventually matching the almost skipping girl's pace. He walked next to her, finally noticing that they were holding hands. The boy slowly let go, sliding his hands into his pockets and attempting to hide his blush. To Sorochi's relief, Kairi was too caught up in reaching her destination that she hadn't noticed Sorochi had even let go. Kairi led them to a sliding glass door, which opened up into a sprawling garden. Sorochi stepped in and took a moment to take it all in, the aromas of multiple flowers hitting him like a brick wall. Vines stretched lazily up fences, alongside the many roses, violets, chrysanthemums, and poinsettias growing in the center of the garden. Sorochi saw vegetable plants lining the outer rim of the garden and even caught sight of a few oak saplings. Kairi took her time smelling and embracing the garden, twirling around amongst them.

"This is.. this is amazing, Kairi!" Sorochi could only manage a whisper, fearing he might break the peace in the room.

"Isn't it? Occasionally, as a treat, mom would let me work in the gardens when she did. A lot of this is my work." Kairi took in the garden with a bright smile. Sorochi grinned and remained silent, wandering around once more before returning to the redhead propped against the door.

"So, what else is there?"

"Kairi! Sorochi!" Riku appeared in the doorway Kairi had led them through. "Dad's looking for ya."

"Thanks, Riku. C'mon, he probably wants to talk about you." Kairi motioned for Sorochi to follow and led the boy through the foyer's left doorway. This led into a grand dining hall, adorned with paintings, elaborate pillars and sculpting, and a massive chandelier in the center of the room. The large slab of oak in the center seated twelve and seemed far too unnecessary for idol conversation. Instead Kairi led Sorochi past an ornate kitchen into a living room set in the middle of the mansion. Indigo couches and recliners sat in a semi-circle around a cobblestone fireplace and every wall was furnished with statuettes, busts, and paintings. In a recliner at the head of the semi-circle sat Cal, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand.

"Ah, there you are! Please, have a seat." Cal gestured to the couches sitting before him. Sorochi took a seat on the man's right, with Kairi settling down across from him. Cal set his coffee down on the small table beside him and cleared his throat. "So, according to Kairi's information, you appeared in the alley just out of nowhere?"

"Yes, sir. I have absolutely no idea how I got there or when I got there. For all I know I could have been unconscious there for a couple hours or a couple days." Sorochi unintentionally sounded a little worried. Cal sat back and ran his fingers across the dusting on his chin, his eyes fixated on Sorochi.

"People don't just show up out of nowhere. You think you might have been, I don't know, kidnapped?" Kairi questioned, shifting to a cross-legged position.

"I don't think so. I remember being at home with my father. He was doing something, what it was won't come to me." Sorochi rubbed his forehead, attempting to clear up those last few minutes before he'd ended up here.

"Who is your father?" Cal sounded as if a thought had dawned on him.

"Elochai Usaki. He was some sort of professor. He wasn't around very often, and when he was he never really spent time with me. I think he studied the human soul or something crazy like that." Kairi and Cal exchanged glances and Cal rose to his feet, pacing over to a bookshelf behind Kairi. "What is it?" questioned Sorochi, a feeling of worry welling in his chest.

"The human soul has been an interesting field of study. You see, within all of us is a balance of light and dark. Some, like you, my daughter, and myself, have a higher balance of light than dark. We are seen as humane, generous, and good-natured. Some have a neutral balance and merely carry out their actions depending on the situation. Others lose hold of the light. Dark fills their very person and they lose their sight on humanity. Such people lose morality, emotion, and rationality and work only to benefit their own desires and greed. They say darkness can twist the human form, create demons and monsters many of us may never see. Your father has excelled in that field of study." Cal paced back to the furniture empty-handed.

"What do you mean?" Sorochi had scooted forward in his seat, hands gripping tightly to the cushions.

"Elochai worked hard to find out the secret to controlling the darkness. You see, before Elochai's research, controlling the darkness was merely fantasy. The dark took over those who had lost self-purpose, those full of hate and depression, and those who let their desires take hold. There was no controlling the degree of hold the dark had on you. Elochai found that one can willingly embrace the dark. Those that allow the darkness to enter their soul can control the dark, but only if one has mastered the art. Elochai, to my knowledge, has yet to master this art, but his studies show he is hell-bent on controlling the dark." Cal took a seat, fixing his gaze on Sorochi. Sorochi sat back, taking a moment to let all of this information settle into his head.

"You.. you seemed concerned. Why's that?" Sorochi shakily sat up, his worry now prevalent to the others.

"Because if your father fails, the dark could overtake him." Riku, entering from the kitchen, filled in his father's words. "A man with that amount of knowledge falling to the dark? There's no telling what can happen."

"There is a legend telling of a great war between light and dark. Up until recently, light has kept darkness at bay, hence the little knowledge people like Kairi and yourself possess of it." Cal motioned to his daughter and Sorochi. "Lately, though, the amount of darkness welling in the human soul has increased and in some cities the dark is becoming very difficult to contain. I believe that this foretold great war is at our doorstep. Unfortunately, we are missing a core component in our defense against the darkness. A warrior of light, one who is destined to combat the one who controls the dark."

"How can you tell who this "warrior of light" is?" Sorochi had stood up now, pacing worriedly around the room.

"Legend says that, when the time comes, the warrior of light will be revealed. Well, that's a plain English translation. It's very descriptive," answered Riku with a stab of sarcasm. Sorochi paused in his pacing to lean against the fireplace. All of this talk of war, light and dark, and his father's crazy research had gotten to him and he felt sick. Without a word, Sorochi pushed past Riku and fled to the only peaceful place he knew in the home; Kairi's garden. Sorochi entered the room fell back against the wall, sliding down and trembling. All Sorochi had known was peace. Sure he had heard of war, but his mother had always taught him that the wars were long gone and that peace would reside for as long as Sorochi would live. Now all this talk of the dark taking hold of humans had blown away all that Sorochi believed.

"And my own father…" The thought of his father becoming this "dark lord" brought tears to the trembling boy's eyes. His thoughts were interrupted when Kairi cautiously stepped in. She took a seat next to the boy and wrapped a gentle arm around him.

"Look, I know all that dad and Riku told you is heavy, and I should have stopped them, but it's all true. I just can't believe your father never told you about this. What about your mother? Did she know?" Kairi's voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"She was always worried about dad. She knew what he was doing was dangerous, but didn't know the details. If she knew about the light and dark, she never told me. Perhaps she didn't want me to worry. Still I just can't believe… well, any of this. Do you believe all of this is going to happen?" Sorochi glanced to Kairi, his tears had halted and now he was looking for an honest answer.

"Dad had always preached the light and dark to me. To be honest, I think it is inevitable. Nowadays more and more people are succumbing to their violent desires and… it's going to lead to a horrible imbalance." Kairi had looked away from Sorochi, her gaze focused on some distant point past the floor.

"Then, should it happen… what do we do?"

"We fight. Some say that once the dark takes someone they're lost; they can never return to the light. We will have to fight the dark back and restore order. Dad dreads that day. He's worried I won't be ready. Riku has trained most of his life for that day, but only recently has he begun training me." Kairi frowned and watched Sorochi rise to his feet. Sorochi gave a sigh, offering his hand to help Kairi to her feet.

"I've fought. My dad had a sword that I would mess with when mom was away. To be honest, though, I don't think I'd be in fighting condition. Especially if this coming as soon as your dad thinks." Kairi could only nod at Sorochi's words, at a loss for what to say. "Look, it's been a hell of a day. I think we need some rest and some time to think this over and we'll talk about this again soon. Okay?"

"Yeah." Kairi gave a nod and headed off out the door. Sorochi followed her through the foyer and up the right staircase. They passed the restroom and Riku's room and stopped before an open door. Inside Sorochi could see a dresser, full-size bed, and a bedside window. "Here's one of our spare rooms. You can stay here for as long as you need to. Sleep well." Kairi motioned to the room and gave an awkward smile. Head lowered, she began to make her way back toward the staircase.

"Hey." Sorochi called, causing the girl to stop in her tracks and turn to him. "It'll be okay, alright?" Sorochi's words of encouragement were couple with a grin. Kairi managed a gentle smile and gave a nod, remaining there for a moment to watch Sorochi enter his room. The girl silently sighed and retreated into her room, clicking the door closed behind her. Sorochi stripped off his shirt and folded it neatly onto the dresser. Exhausted, the boy plopped down on his bed and lazily covered himself with the blankets. Thoughts of the war and his father kept him awake for some time. He began to wonder if possibly his father had transported Sorochi here for a reason. Or perhaps his mother had to keep Sorochi safe? With that thought Sorochi began to worry his town had been threatened by the dark and worried for his mother's safety. Despite his fear, Sorochi knew he was powerless to save her, for there was no way he could get transport back to Tranquility if the dark had taken over. With fear floating in the recesses of his mind, Sorochi curled up beneath the covers. For what felt like days the boy lied there, before sleep finally took hold.


	2. Chapter 2

II

One tremor shook the mansion. Two. Three. The forth finally woke Sorochi, the boy hopping up in his bed with a pounding heart. From outside explosions could be heard, echoing across the early morning sky. Sirens wailed across the town and Sorochi could hear Riku calling for Kairi to wake up. Sorochi scrambled out of bed and pulled his shirt on as he ran, meeting up with a quick, but calm, Riku, sword in hand.

"Thank God, you're awake! Some shit's gone down outside! Dad thinks whatever took Isis has come here." Another tremor caught the mansion and Kairi buried herself against Riku. "C'mon! We can't stay up here!" Riku took off down the hall, Kairi at his side. Sorochi followed close behind, heart pounding and eyes searching out any window he could find. The sun had only just begun to rise, making it difficult to see what was going on outside. Sorochi flew down the stairs, watching as Cal loaded up a bladed rifle near the front door.

"Riku, take Sorochi and your sister to the vault and get them armed. I've already packed some necessary provisions, as soon as you're armed, I want you out of here!" Cal shouted over the sounds of wailing sirens and distant screams and growls outside.

"What about you?" Kairi called, trembling under Riku's arm.

"I'm going to go find your mother! Riku, you know where to find Siegfried. Wait for me there! If I'm not there in 45 minutes, then Siegfried knows where to take you!" Without a word more, Cal barged through the door and slammed it behind him.

"Dad!" Kairi tried to pull away from Riku's grip, to no avail.

"Kairi, please! Sorochi, get to the armory, it's behind the bookshelf in the living room. Just pull the red book. I'll be there momentarily." Sorochi gave a nod and took off across the halls and into the living room. Outside an explosion rocked the mansion once more and Sorochi saw the chaos through a tall curved window. The sun rose in the east, sitting now above the town, but the west remained black. It was an almost tangible darkness, sweeping across the land and slithering through the alleys and streets. Twisted figures ran through the fleeing crowds, tearing down person after person with no remorse. Soldiers wielding anything from swords to guns to ethereal energy fired back at the advancing beasts, trying frantically to keep them at bay. Sorochi peeled his eyes away as Riku passed him, sliding out a red book from the shelf and watching as the shelf slid into the floor. Behind it stood a small steel closet, full of bladed rifles, swords, and staffs. Riku swiped up twin swords and their sheathes, slinging them onto his back. He holstered a long-barreled revolver and clipped it onto his belt. Sorochi stepped in and found a gunblade revolver, fully loaded lying next to a bandolier of ethereal rounds. The boy slung the bandolier across his chest, picking up the gunblade with admiration. He saw Riku toss Kairi a staff, which she examined before exiting the room. She quickly returned with three medium-sized backpacks, which she tossed to her brother and Sorochi.

"Alright, everyone got what they need? Because after we leave, there's no turning back." Riku gave one final check as he spoke. Kairi and Sorochi both gave a nod in unison. "Alright then, let's go." Riku jogged over to the mansion's back door, waiting for Sorochi and Kairi to file in behind him. Outside they could hear growls and snarls trailing across the yard, hunting for any survivors. "On the count of three. One… two… three!" In an instant Riku bashed open the door and ran out, swords drawn. Sorochi followed close behind, with Kairi keeping a tight hold on the boy's free hand. In front of them, twisted bodies of former humans stood in their way, their bright yellow eyes piercing the seemingly eternal night. Riku held his swords tightly, running them through flesh and bone as the dark creatures attempted to halt their escape. Sorochi fired off a few rounds, burning bright holes in his targets. Kairi kept her head buried in Sorochi's side, refusing to watch what was unfolding.

"This isn't real… this isn't real…" Kairi muttered into Sorochi's chest as Sorochi brought the blade down into a man's face. Light could be seen ahead of them, a departure from the endless night cloaking the town around them.

"C'mon! We're almost there!" Riku shouted, sprinting past two flailing demons. Sorochi cut down on of them, managing to kick away the other before it got ahold of him. Riku reached the very edge of the sprawling dark mass, looking over to see the vast amount of yellow eyes peering out from the black. "The whole damn area's been taken!"

"It's the fear and the chaos!" reasoned Sorochi, also crossing the very edge of the dark mass. The trio slowed to a jog, Sorochi turning back to put down two dark beings chasing them on all fours. Riku shook his head, taking a moment to catch his breath before speaking again.

"No, if that were the case, I think we'd be taken too. Something's changed. I think… I think your father might have perfected controlling the dark sooner than dad had thought, and a lot more skillfully as well." Riku suggested, slowing down to a walk now as the creatures behind them turned their attention back to the town.

"God, I hope not." Sorochi whispered, letting go of Kairi as the girl ceased her trembling. Up ahead stood what appeared to be a concrete bunker, all alone with not a sign of life. Tall grass and weeds littered the area around it and pieces of the bunker had flaked and chipped off. Sorochi ran his hand across the cold concrete, feeling the many pits and cracks on its surface. "You sure this is it?"

"You see any other buildings around here? I've only been here once or twice when I was younger, but yeah, this is the place." Riku knocked heavily on the steel door and took a step back. The trio heard a low hum resonate from the bunker and felt the ground below start to vibrate. Within a second it had come and gone and the hum was replaced by a hissing coming from the bunker door. The door creaked open to reveal nothing but a large open room with a circular platform in the center, flanked by the bunker window. Riku stepped in first, motioning for the others to follow as he approached a control panel beside the door. Sorochi and Kairi stepped in and peered out at Sebring. It appeared as though it was night, with thick black fog seeping in and out of the town's streets and across the surrounding land. Sorochi wrapped his arm tightly around Kairi's shoulders, pulling her close in an attempt to comfort the girl. They both questioned Cal's return. Sorochi figured the man had to be resourceful and hoped that there was some slim chance he could make it through the swallowing dark. A low hum once more filled their ears and the platform began to descend. Down and down it went for several minutes, the only sounds resonating from the motor. Finally the platform came to a halt in a large steel hallway, dimly lit by glowing red gems. Riku made his way down the hall, with Sorochi and Kairi following cautiously behind. They approached a massive steel door, locked by two prominent gears. A speaker stood as the only object to be interacted with in the room. Riku stepped up to it and held down the blinking red button just below the speaker.

"Siegfried, it's Riku. Dad sent me here. The dark has come."

"Ze dark? This is most unfortunate. Alright, come in. Come in." Siegfried's German accent echoed throughout the hall and was followed by the cacophony of grinding gears. The massive steel door slid up into the ceiling and revealed a sprawling room full of computers, lab desks, and filing cabinets. At a lab table stood a corpulent man, his grey hair frayed in every which way and tiny green eyes peering up through his spectacles. "My, Riku, you have grown so much! Come over here and give Uncle Siegfried a hug!" The man waddled over to Riku and embraced him with a hearty chuckle. "I see you've brought your sister und a friend. You say ze darkness has come?"

"Yes, and dad went out to get mom. He said, should he not show up, you'll know where to send us." Riku struggled with his words. Despite his generally placid façade, Riku seemed unnerved by his father's actions. Sorochi frowned and took a seat by one of the lab tables, keeping silent for the time being.

"But of course! Your father had prepared for this day many years ago, every since Elochai began his studies with the darkness."

"You know my father?" Sorochi jumped up to his feet, taking the plump German by surprise.

"I thought I recognized that face. Yes, yes, Elochai and I worked together for a few years. A stubborn man, he was, always wanting to carry out experiments his own way und going on und on about ze darkness. He talked a lot of you, Sorochi, but as his research went on, he grew more distant from you. Elochai began research on how to use another human being as a catalyst for controlling the dark. Not sure what it was he was trying to accomplish; he took all of his notes with him when he vanished." Siegfried waddled back to his desk and sat down, eyes fixated on Sorochi.

"Vanished?"

"Oh yes. Elochai disappeared a few months ago. He said he had to work on his research in isolation und never really gave me a chance to question. He claimed he was close to a breakthrough."

"Do you think he is the cause of this spread of darkness?" Riku interrupted Sorochi before he could speak.

"It's possible. Elochai seemed extremely fixated on ze darkness und it's secrets. It is very possible Elochai could have gained control. How? I do not know." With this, Sorochi sat back down with a distraught sigh. Kairi placed her hand on his back and laid her head against his shoulder.

"So what can we do?" asked Riku, hopping up onto one of the lab desks.

"Your father went on about a "warrior of light". He trained you, primarily, to ready you in case you should turn out to be this warrior. Your best bet is to go ze ruins of Bastion. Elochai focused a good deal on that particular area and it's quite possible he found many of ze answers for controlling ze dark there. That would be your best bet. However, be wary of ze darkness. I was tasked with sending you to Master Denik. He can teach you all you need to fight ze dark," answered Siegfried as he strolled over to a large capsule, which he began to power up. "Now, should your father return, he will come to Denik. However, for now you must go. Ze longer we wait, ze farther ze darkness will spread."

"I can't leave yet! We have to wait! Dad told us to!" Kairi stood up from her chair, fists clenched and shaking.

"Kairi, we can't. The longer we sit and wait the longer the darkness has to conquer everything and everyone! We have to go! Dad will find us." Riku took a hold of his sister's hand and looked into her eyes. The severity in Riku's voice could be felt lingering in the room and Sorochi shifted uncomfortably.

"He's right, Kairi. As much as I would like to stay, we have to find a way to end this." Sorochi spoke up, his voice calm and a near-whisper compared to Riku's. Kairi stood in silence for a few seconds, trembling in her brother's grasp, before a deep breath calmed her nerves.

"Okay… okay. I understand. Siegfried, dad better come as soon as he gets here!" The tears that had been welling in Kairi's eyes dripped to the floor and her voice cracked.

"Of course, darling." Siegfried assured, his face full with a smile. Kairi managed a smile and made her way over to the capsule. "Denik knows you are coming. He will be waiting for you on ze other side. Good luck, and Riku."

"Hmm?"

"Take care of them." Siegfried placed his hand on Riku's chest and was met with a nod. Riku turned and entered the capsule alongside his sister. Sorochi approached the capsule, but a thought stopped him in his tracks.

"Siegfried… do you know how I ended up here? I woke up here from Tranquility in a matter of, well to me was seconds." Sorochi questioned, hand on the capsule.

"To be honest with you, Sorochi, no. I know your father began to fear you, perhaps thinking you were ze prophesized warrior of light. It's very possible he… tried to do away with you and, luckily, failed. That's only a guess." Sorochi nodded and entered the capsule without another word. Siegfried stepped up to the console and began to shut the glass canopy around the capsule. "Good luck, and keep your hearts strong." With Siegfried's final words, the capsule door shut before them and a low hum filled their ears once more. A bright flash nearly blinded them and Sorochi felt sick to his stomach all of a sudden. In a near instant the trio appeared in a vastly different room. They remained on a platform, but stood in a massive marble room. Its walls, floors, and pillars were a brilliant white and faintly reflected the teens. Statues of great warriors lined the walls. Some were male, some female, some big, and some small. A long, red, and velvet carpet led from the platform all the way to a large and ornate gold throne. Two albino wolves lie sleeping on each side of the throne, which held a quite imposing man. His stern face looked out at the teens with warm and inquisitive brown eyes. The man's greying hair was pulled back into a ponytail and matched the grey patch of hair just beneath his lower lip. Adorned in flowing white and gold robes, the man stood and made his way down the red carpet toward the trio. Riku knelt down before the man, signaling for Kairi and Sorochi to follow suit.

"Rise, brave ones." The man's voice was deep and authoritative, sending shivers down Sorochi's spine. The three stood before the man, with Riku stepping up to represent them.

"My father, Cal Redmond, sent us. I am Riku, that is my sister Kairi, and our friend Sorochi." Riku gave a long bow as he introduced himself and his company. Kairi and Sorochi respectfully followed Riku's lead, putting a smile on the man's face.

"I am Master Denik. Your father has tasked me with preparing you to fight the forces of the dark. Come." The man motioned behind the trio and shifted past them. Denik approached the rear wall and placed a firm hand against it. With a soft hiss, a door-sized panel in the wall slid back and to the left, revealing a massive balcony beyond. Sorochi took point behind Denik, following the master out onto the balcony. Before them were rolling hills and rising mountains dotted with small white specks Sorochi realized were buildings. Approaching the edge of the balcony, Sorochi peered over the railing and instantly staggered back. The balcony sat high above the sprawling white city below, overlooking a vast amount of landscape.

"Welcome to the final bastion of mankind, Castrum de Lumine. We are the city of pure light. Here, the dark has been suppressed to such an extreme degree that it is nearly non-existent. The dark cannot taint you here," explained Denik.

"How long has this place been here?" Riku questioned, taking his turn looking over the edge of the balcony. Off in the distance, ruins dotted the land, consumed by dark and lost to time. If Riku had to guess, this had to be Bastion.

"Since the dawn of time. Millennia ago, this fortress city was built to escape the choking dark. Darkness is not a modern concept. It has plagued the human race for eons, and this is not the first time we've waged war against it."

"So, how did you defeat the dark before?" questioned Sorochi, turning back to face Denik.

"The warrior of light led the charge against the dark lord. He had to purify the afflicted cities in an attempt to overwhelm the darkness' numbers." Denik began, but his words confused Riku.

"Wait, wait, wait. You mean there's a way to return people to light?" he stammered, amazed by the once impossible concept.

"Yes. The warrior of light wielded a powerful weapon, one the Ancients called the Depuratore; the purifier. It could vanquish the dark from souls and return a man to his rightful state." Denik held out an open palm and in his hand formed a magnificent golden blade. Its hilt was wrapped tightly with a fabric neither of the teens had ever seen before. The cross guard resembled a thick, golden cross, which tapered into the straight, double-edged blade. The entire sword radiated with a soft, gold glow, lighting up the faces of all three teens.

"Wow. I've never seen anything like it." Kairi was stricken with awe and amazement as she looked over the Depuratore several times.

"Only the warrior of light can wield such a weapon. When the time comes, and the chosen one confronts the darkness, the Depuratore shall come to his aid and vanquish the dark. And in that time, I shall pass. My soul will carry on with this fortress, just as those of the former warriors of light." Denik released the Depuratore and the trio watched as it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Now, onto your preparations. Come." Denik motioned toward a door to the right of the balcony. The door led down a flight of stairs and through many curving halls, all adorned with depictions of previous wars and statues of famous warriors and philosophers. An empty space was reserved near the end of the hall where a plaque read "Master Denik". "Upon my passing, a statue shall be erected in my remembrance and this hall shall grow once more to accommodate the new warrior."

"Wait, so you're saying this hallway will grow forever?" questioned Sorochi, the first thing the kid had said in awhile.

"Precisely. As each warrior takes his title, the hall grows to accommodate his memorial statue. So it shall remain, until there is no longer a need for such a warrior." Denik answered, pushing open the door at the end of the hall. The door opened up to an enormous rotunda, emptying of anything, except for the multiple pillars supporting it on their shoulders. It was the same brilliant white as the throne room, with gold accents on the roof, walls, and pillars. Denik led the teens to the center of the room, turning on his heel to face them.

"Brave recruits of the light, this shall be where your tests begin. In precisely one hour, the simulations shall begin. You will be pitted against situations which you might encounter against the dark. Kairi, your father tells me you and your brother are resourceful, that will aid you in survival in the harsh afflicted lands. Sorochi and Riku, your swordsmanship and marksmanship far surpass recruits of your age. You taught yourselves well." Riku and Sorochi both gave a nod of thanks. "Kairi, I will assist you in mastering the light magic in private studies, this way the training can be much more efficient. I will teach you all I know to combat the dark, just as your father had instructed, but know this. What I teach you can only help you if you apply it and only through experience can one truly master their craft." With those final, hard words of encouragement, Denik disappeared in an instant. Sorochi looked around the rotunda, hoping to spot him with no avail.

"So what, are we just supposed to admire the pretty scenery for an hour?" the boy asked, turning his focus back to Riku. The silver-haired teen took a seat on the cool floor and closed his eyes.

"It's probably to teach us patience, and give us a chance to rest up a bit. We did just fight through a horde of creatures we've never even known about until now, and learn about all this crazy "warrior of light and army of light" shit," Riku answered softly, not even lifting an eyelid. Sorochi sighed and took a seat where he stood, Kairi joining next to him. Sorochi reflected back on what Siegfried had said shortly before their departure. The thought of his own father wanting to kill him made him horribly sick. The boy rubbed his head in a vain attempt to clear a throbbing headache.

"What is it, Sorochi?" Kairi leaned forward to catch Sorochi's eye. The boy looked up to her, but shook his head.

"It's just… something Siegfried said. It's nothing."

"Spit it out, kid." Riku's voice made Sorochi jump.

"Riku! If he doesn't want to—"

"Look, we're going to be together for the next… well who knows how long. We can't afford to hide shit if it's going to tear us down in the long run. Now, Sorochi, what'd Siegfried say?" Riku's tone started off aggressive, but trailed off to a more casual, softer one. Sorochi cleared his throat and rubbed his head once more before he spoke.

"He said it's possible that dad could have tried to kill me somehow. It's possible he feared me due to this warrior of light prophecy, but ended up sending me to you guys instead. That's all." Sorochi trailed off.

"It's adding up to make me think your father is behind all of this. The research, the isolation, and now this. Siegfried said he was obsessed with the darkness, it's very possible he's behind all of this."

"But… but what if it's not just him? We can't conclude that he's solely behind any of this, not yet. There could be a much higher power behind all of this and maybe… maybe my dad's a pawn." Sorochi suggested with a shrug.

"He's got a point, Riku. We don't know enough right now to jump to conclusions." Kairi said with a pat on Sorochi's shoulder. Sorochi managed a small smile and decided to lie back, staring up at the massive dome above. Thoughts flooded back to him once more and soon the boy began to hallucinate images of his mother. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders and her bright blue eyes matched the same joy her smile expressed. Sorochi raised his hand up to touch her cheek, but was met with nothing as the image vanished. The boy sighed and dropped his hand down to his stomach. Kairi frowned and a ran a gentle hand across her friend's knee. Sorochi gave her a smile and sat up, hearing the door behind them slide open. Denik strode over to the trio, standing before them as they rose to their feet.

"The time has come. The beginning of your trial shall consist of solo simulations. These are less intense and focused on testing and honing the skills of the individual. Next shall come the team simulations. These will consist of various situations and degrees of difficulty. Treat all of these as if your life depends on it. None of you shall be able to observe the others as the solo simulations are carried out. Riku, you're up first. Kairi and Sorochi, you are free to roam the fortress, but report back here in an hour. Understood?" Denik scanned each of their firm faces carefully.

"Yes, sir." The trio said in near unison, with a nod from each of them.

"Excellent. Then, Riku, come." Denik took the boy towards the end of the rotunda and, in a flash, Sorochi and Kairi were standing in the hall just outside of the rotunda. Both startled, the teens looked over themselves to make sure all was intact then chuckled, both embarrassed over how silly they looked.

"Well, we could head back out to the balcony. It's not far and it's got a pretty amazing view for us to enjoy!" Sorochi suggested, turning slightly to face the winding hall.

"Fine by me," replied Kairi, a soft smile on her face. The teens made very little conversation on their way through the hall's winding ways. Both were lost in thoughts of their own fathers, both worrying for their safety. Sorochi refused to accept that Elochai had given into the dark. Even though Sorochi barely knew the man, he couldn't bring himself to accept that his own father was in charge of so much death and destruction. Returning to the balcony and its breathtaking view lightened up Sorochi's mood. Down below sprawled a massive city of white and gold buildings. Houses, businesses, and skyscrapers all rose high toward the fortress and rolling hills and mountains added to the verticality of the entire area. In the distance, around what they had presumed was Bastion, stood a forest. Much of it was preserved due to the influence of the Castrum de Lumine, but near Bastion the trees began to wilt and decay, succumbing to the dark. Sorochi kept his eyes away from this area, focusing on the city with frequent glances to Kairi, who also avoided the ruins of Bastion.

"What?" Kairi finally took notice of Sorochi's glances and giggled.

"Oh, heh, I'm just seeing if you're okay. That's all." Sorochi managed a smile and quickly focused back on the city, attempting to hide a faint blush. Kairi chuckled and leaned over, planting a light kiss on the boy's head.

"I'm fine, thanks." She whispered before starting back toward the rotunda. Sorochi watched as she went, his mouth slightly agape. The boy peeled himself from the balcony and regained his focus on the task at hand before his thoughts got the better of him. Sorochi whipped out his gunblade and aimed off, checking if his sights were dialed in. With a few quick adjustments and a reload, the gunblade was ready for the action which was sure to come soon. Sorochi took one last look out at the ruins. Sorochi had no idea why Cal had picked them to fight. Frankly, Sorochi was just a homeless kid Kairi had drug in off the street. What Cal had possibly seen in him? In any of them? They were merely kids; teenagers who had a loose idea of light and dark and the hell that would ensue should dark take over. What Sorochi did know, however, was that Cal had put his trust in them. Why he had did not matter. All that mattered was that they passed this test and found a way to vanquish the dark.

"This is for you." Sorochi whispered. The boy slid his gunblade into its holster and turned on his heel. Returning to the rotunda with a newfound confidence, Sorochi met up with Kairi, who stood before Denik and her brother. Riku seemed barely fazed by this simulation on the outside, but Sorochi wondered what could be going on in his head.

"You did well, Riku." Denik praised the boy with a bow.

"Thank you, sir." Riku gave a curt bow in response and walked out of the rotunda.

"Now, Sorochi. Come." Sorochi swallowed hard and followed, drawing his gunblade. Kairi vanished from the room and Sorochi stood before Denik at a circular platform Sorochi had not noticed amongst the brilliant white. Denik stepped to the side and vanished, yet his voice could still be heard. "Starting the simulation in three…" Sorochi turned around to face the larger portion of the rotunda. He gripped the hilt tightly and took two deep breaths, calming his pounding heart. "Two…"


	3. Chapter 3

III

"One." Sorochi mouthed the word and, within an instant, the room changed. The air felt stale and stunk of death and decay. The sky was blackened by the darkness, which slithered between the crumbling ruins around him. A gentle wind cried faint howls across the land, chilling Sorochi's core. Growls and hisses resounded from the thick, dark clouds around him, calling for him to enter. Sorochi stood his ground, taking hold of his gunblade as he awaited the first assault. From his left charged a blackened former human, its hair flowing back in two long tendrils. Its yellow eyes locked on Sorochi, looking to rip at his neck, but the boy pivoted around on his left foot, whirling around the creature and landing a the blade deep into its back. Black ooze seeped from the wound as the creature fell limp then melted away. Two more growls resonated from far behind Sorochi, causing the boy to wheel around. Taking aim, Sorochi fired rounds towards two pairs of advancing yellow eyes. The boy watched as puffs of ethereal magic marked he'd hit his targets.

"These afflicted are known as Heartless. They've fallen to the dark and lost all sense of control. They are feral and, without Depuratore, must be put down." Denik's phantom voice echoed across the land. Sorochi gave a nod and fired off two more rounds, hitting one of the pair, but missing the other. It charged forward at an incredible speed, down on all fours. Sorochi through his sword forward, throwing the blade into the creature's skull and torso. The black ooze splattered onto his blade and arm and the Heartless melted away.

"So what? You just going to throw Heartless at me until this is over?" Within a second of Sorochi's taunting question the ground began to quake. Sorochi hopped back from the fissure opening just before him and landed on a broken pillar. Up from the ground oozed black clouds followed by a massive clawed hand. The hand slammed down near Sorochi and was followed by another not far away. Three heads slithered up from the fissure, hissing and gurgling as they rose high above Sorochi. Long black spines ran the lengthy of their coiling necks and deep yellow eyes pierced straight through Sorochi. In unison the heads let loose a mighty screech, causing intense pain in Sorochi's ears and cracking the ruins. Sorochi readied his gunblade, taking aim at the center head and letting loose the remaining two rounds. They pierced the head, which let loose a screech of agony, but nothing more. The tri-headed beast raised its mighty hand and smacked Sorochi clear of the pillar. Sorochi landed hard on his back and attempted to get up. The idea that this is a simulation had left him, for it felt frighteningly real. A slithering tendril crawled up from the fissure and wrapped itself tightly around the boy's ankle. Sorochi attempted to crawl forward, reaching out for his dropped weapon, but the tendril pulled him back. In one swift pull, the tendril lifted Sorochi up into the air and over the gaping maw of the beast's middle head. Sorochi's life flashed before his eyes as the tendril let go and the world faded to white.

"It's alright, child. It was merely a simulation." Denik's hand made the trembling boy jump.

"Shit! That… that was ridiculous!" Sorochi took a few seconds to regain himself and calm his nerves. "I knew it was a simulation, but I didn't expect that!" Riku and Kairi walked in on his freak out and Riku stifled a chuckle.

"Hydra?"

"Whatever the hell it was!"

"I managed to kill it. It had… quite a few heads before I figured it out though. How'd it go for you?" Riku questioned, putting his hand firmly on Sorochi's shoulder.

"Not well. I was not expecting that." Sorochi took another long breath and retrieved his gunblade.

"Always expect the unexpected and be prepared for the worst. Now, Kairi, it is your turn." Denik turned to the girl who, after the boys' encounter, was a little shaky. In a flash the boys were returned to the hall, left to wonder how Kairi would fair. Riku turned around and headed off toward the balcony, making it a considerable distance before noticing Sorochi had yet to follow.

"C'mon, kid. Let's talk." Riku turned back to beckon the boy. Sorochi snapped to reality and nodded, falling in not far behind his accomplice. "So, what happened back there?"

"Hmm?"

"The simulation?"

"Oh, right. I just panicked. Until now, I had never seen anything quite that… gargantuan staring me down. It was a little frightening!" Sorochi exclaimed and slid his hands into his pockets. Riku let out a soft chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I guess you could say I've never been afraid of the dark. Even as a little kid, I had no problem stepping out into the woods on a moonless night. That's how I managed. I saw that Hydra for what it was; a creature of the dark. I kept my calm and managed to get away with my life. That's something you need to learn, Sorochi. You have to keep calm under pressure. A few years ago, my mom had slid on a wet spot in the kitchen. She cracked her head on the kitchen floor and, at the moment, I was the only one home old enough to do anything. Dad had always taught me to keep my cool and that panic could kill me. I never truly understood that until I helped my bleeding mother relax and treated her as well as could until paramedics came." Riku stopped at the balcony and looked out, leaning forward on the rail. Sorochi kept quiet, taking in Riku's words as he joined the boy at the balcony.

"How do you do it?"

"Huh?"

"How are you able to go through all of this like it's just a normal day? I mean, I'm terrified! I'm scared of what might happen and find this all a little crazy!" Sorochi took a step back from the balcony, now facing the boy he was questioning.

"You think I'm not scared? You think that I'm not sitting here worried for my sister's safety and, in a way, yours?" Riku had unintentionally raised his voice, startling Sorochi to silence. Riku took a moment to relax, taking a deep breath and focusing back out at the city below. "Look, I'm worried, but I don't let it get the best of me. We have to stay focused and we have to man up because dad put us here for a reason."

"No, you're wrong. Cal put _you_ here for a reason. I was dragged into this mess! I don't know if it was fate, or what, but I got dragged into this shit. I could still be at home—"

"Doing what?" Riku snapped, voice raised, stopping the boy dead in his words. "Writhing in the dark while your father corrupts your town? Look, I know we can't jump to conclusions, but isn't this all a little suspicious? You are lucky you ended up here… because, for all we know, you could be like them!" Riku pointed off in the direction he assumed was Sebring. Sorochi felt a faint hint of anger welling in his chest, but the boy let it pass. As harshly as Riku put it, he's right. Sorochi marched off, making his way back down the winding halls to give himself some privacy. The boy slumped down next to the unoccupied space for Denik's statue. He began to question if, at the moment, he was more of a hindrance than a help. He was afraid of the dark, couldn't keep his calm, and was beginning to lose hold on his focus. All of this was absolutely insane. It seemed like a nightmare Sorochi couldn't wait to wake up from. His emotions and conversations, however, reminded him that every little bit of this is real. He could die, Riku could die, Kairi could die; they could all fail.

"No. That won't happen. I won't let it." Sorochi's thoughts pushed out in a whisper. Footsteps caught his attention and the boy turned his head to catch a returning Riku. Sorochi picked himself up and stood patiently by the door, awaiting the end of Kairi's trial.

"Look, Sorochi. I'm sorry for what I said back there." Riku's tone was much more calm and sincere than Sorochi was used to.

"It's fine, Riku. You're right, about all of that. I guess I just needed it drilled into my head." The rotunda door hissed and slid open, revealing Kairi and Denik, the former with a face of triumph.

"She did well. Her knowledge of light magic was surprising for her age. You all did well, but could each use work in your own fields. The team trials shall begin within the next hour. Down the stairs on the balcony's left side is a dining hall. Feel free to enjoy." With that, Denik vanished once more. Kairi stretched for a moment, giggling when she heard Sorochi's stomach rumble.

"Guess we should get to that food, huh?" she smirked with a hint of mockery. Sorochi shook his head with a smile and sauntered off down the hall. Food hadn't crossed his mind today, probably because he woke up in the midst of Hell. Following Denik's instructions led Sorochi and the siblings behind him to a long dining hall. The long, white-oak table was surrounded with 32 chairs and dressed with a gold and white lace. Atop the lace sat many dishes, ranging from various salads and fruits, to many different types of meat cooked to different temperatures and dressed with various toppings. The aroma of steamed vegetables, grilled meat, and the sweet-scented candles lighting the room made Sorochi's stomach nearly roar in delight. Each of the teens took their fair share and took seats toward the middle of the vast table. Not much was said as the trio enjoyed their meals and before long each had finished their meals, still eyeing all the remaining food.

"Why all the special treatment?" Riku finally broke the drifting silence.

"What do you mean?" Sorochi quizzically cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you see anyone else? Besides us, Denik, the wolves, and those guardian "statues" in Denik's throne room, there is no one here. Now maybe there are more of these philosophers and scientists down in the main foyer of this place, if there is one, but we're the only ones training up here." It took a moment for the other two to recognize that Riku was right. The place _was_ freakishly empty.

"You think Cal and Denik know more than we've been led on to believe?" questioned Sorochi.

"I don't like the idea of my father hiding something of this magnitude, but I suppose it's happened before." Sorochi knew Riku had been referencing Elochai, but decided to leave it be. The far left door slid open and, for a moment, no one entered. The following few seconds left all three teenagers in a state of disbelief. A man stood in the doorway, faint gray hair in a tussle, gold fabric shredded and gold buttons missing from his black suit. Multiple bandaged wounds marked a struggle and a patch over the man's eye made even Riku gasp.

"Dad!" Kairi's joyful voice was choked by tears as she ran to her father, embracing him tightly. Cal wrapped his weak arms around the girl and a smile formed across his battered face.

"Hello, sweetie," Cal spoke softly, but with some difficulty. There was no doubt the man had been through Hell and back to get here.

"Where's mom?" Riku's question caused an eerie and distressful silence. Cal tried to find the words, mouth opening to spit something out, but failed. Sorochi saw tears stream down Riku's face and the enraged teen slammed his fist down on the table, shaking. "No… NO! You were supposed to save her!" Riku screamed through a shaky voice, choking on his tears.

"I'm so sorry, son. I tried my best, but when I got there she had… she had already turned." Sorochi heard the pain and grief, which no doubt weighed on the man's heart, within his voice. He also heard Kairi's sobs buried in the man's chest and watched helplessly as the girl trembled in her grief. Riku stormed off, pushing past his father to retreat to the balcony. Sorochi sat back down, distraught and helpless. He couldn't imagine the heart-wrenching pain they must be feeling right now. Sorochi had no clue where his mother was, but at least he had the hope she was still alive, something they'd never get back. Cal tried desperately to calm his daughter, rocking her back and forth and running a gentle, bandaged hand through her bright red hair. Sorochi quietly slid back his chair and headed for the balcony. He stopped to pat Kairi's shoulder and flash a sincere smile, then continued up to the balcony where he found a pacing Riku. The silver-haired boy stopped upon seeing Sorochi, his fist clenching.

"This is all your fault!" the boy snapped, catching Sorochi by surprise.

"My fault?"

"You showed up in my fucking town! The damn Heartless were nowhere near us until you came!"

"Don't you blame this on me! I woke up in your little town, I have no idea what the hell is going on or why I'm here! Remember that?" Sorochi's temper was flaring and the hostility between them could be cut with a knife. "Your father tried, Riku! At least you have that satisfaction! My father's probably killing and converting thousands as we speak!" Before he could do anything rash, Riku pulled himself away from the quarrel, bounding down the stairs toward the rotunda. Sorochi stood, fists clenched and breath heavy, watching the enraged boy march off. Turning back, Sorochi was halted by Denik, the master placing a firm hand on Sorochi's shoulder.

"Do not mind Riku, he will come back around. What happened to Sofia was unavoidable and Riku will recognize this. I shall postpone the trials for the benefit of your unity. Now, you wish to have answers?" Denik looked down at the boy, that same firmness still plastered on his face.

"I would love to know what the hell is going on, yes!" answered Sorochi as he folded his arms across his chest. Denik gave a nod and in a flash they stood in an entirely different area. It was yet another rotunda, but much larger than the last. The same white and gold surrounded the area, but the statues of the warriors of light stood tall in this room. One was already erected here for Denik, displaying him with radiant golden armor decorated in white accents. He was much younger in this depiction, but the same stern face still held. However, next to him, stood three empty pedestals, each with an empty plaque. "Who are these for? You preparing for the next three warriors?"

"We already have. You see, normally only one potential warrior of light is chosen. Through their lifetime, all potential warriors are followed and monitored. We then select the most prominent of those chosen ones and bring him or her here to train. However, we studied long and hard over Cal and his family. My grandson seemed well fit for the next warrior, however his son, Riku, seemed best fit from the family."

"Wait. Riku is your great-grandson?" Sorochi was almost dumbfounded by the news.

"Indeed. I watched Riku for years, hoping he would rise up to be the next warrior, but the boy lacked a pure heart. I couldn't help but watch my great-granddaughter as well, for I saw potential in her. Her interest in light magic and her pure heart seemed well fit for the role of warrior. Alas, she was not one for fighting, however I pondered the possibility of multiple warriors."

"But what about me? Where do I fit into all of this?"

"Ah, yes. Around the time of your birth, Elochai had begun his research on the darkness. My comrades watched Elochai closely, but I saw potential in you halfway through your adolescence. Your fighting style, combined with the purer heart your mother had given to you through her teaching, brought me hope that you could become the warrior and I wouldn't have to bend the rules. But you were reckless and afraid of the dark, and I knew that would never do." Sorochi frowned, embarrassed by Denik's observation. "However, Elochai's plan to rid of you in his fear brought me a chance. I transported you away from there before he could get to you, bringing you to Sebring so that you would meet with my great-grandchildren."

"So… so all of this was planned before I could even comprehend the light and dark?" Sorochi was having a hard time taking in all of what Denik was revealing to him. He couldn't believe that Denik had followed the three of them through every day up until now and chosen them for this.

"Precisely. My comrades and I knew that alone you three would fail, but together, if we could unify the three of you, you could succeed. Only one can wield the Depuratore, but together the power of the light can flow through you and, for the first time in history, three warriors of light shall stand against the dark." Sorochi leaned back against one of the massive marble pillars, taking a moment to let all that he had just learned soak in. After a moment of silence, the boy straightened up and recomposed himself.

"So you're saying this is all up to us? Not just one of us, but all three of us now?"

"Yes. The three of you will have to work together to find the root of this new wave of Heartless and shut it down." Denik answered, striding over to the center of the rotunda. Sorochi gave a nod and silently joined Denik in the center. They returned to the balcony, meeting up with a much more collected Kairi and her father. "Where is your brother?"

"Still at the training rotunda, I believe." Kairi answered, her voice much more stable.

"Thank you. I shall go speak with him. The two of you are free to roam until I can pull him together. The lower levels of the fortress are centered around defense, there is not much to see down there. I'd appreciate if you keep to the upper levels." Without waiting for a response, Denik vanished. Cal turned to his daughter and embraced her, patting her back.

"I'm going to go rest up, sweetheart. I'll talk with you later, okay?"

"Okay. Sleep well, dad." Kairi smiled and watched her father descend toward the dining hall. Sorochi remained silent, still taking in all that was thrust upon him. Kairi looked him over, waving a hand in front of his face to grab his attention. "Hey. Earth to Sorochi, please respond."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, just digesting some thoughts." Sorochi snapped to and focused on the girl beside him.

"And that food no doubt!" she giggled, light tapping the boy's quiet stomach. Sorochi managed to spit out a chuckle and looked off toward Bastion. The darkness around the ruins had seemingly thickened, almost to the point of obscuring the entire city. Sorochi peered out as best as he could, but could make out very little. Only the thousands of small yellow specks stood out, glaring maleficently at the purified city. Kairi stepped up next to the boy, wrapping her arms around his left arm and leaning ever so slightly against him. "So what did Denik want with you?" she questioned, looking up at the boy who continued to stare at the ruins.

"He was giving me answers. Apparently he's been watching us, thought each of us could have been the warrior of light, but we failed his expectations."

"So then, why are we here?" Kairi leaned back a bit to get a better look at the boy.

"We all have the potential, but each of us has our weaknesses. Denik hopes he can unite us and that the three of us can vanquish the dark together."

"So, all three of us are warriors?"

"For the first time in history." Sorochi replied, a smile on his face. Kairi smiled and leaned, once again, against Sorochi. Sorochi slid his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her shoulders with a grin.

_"Embrace the dark, child. Your mother succumbed to it, now join her at her side."_

"Who are you?!"

"_I am the heart of all that is dark. I have claimed thousands and the number grows with every passing second. Your "warriors of light" are no match… not this time."_

"No! You're wrong!" Riku slammed his fist into the center support pillar, gritting his teeth as the pain in his very core shot through him. He could feel the warm, sickening crawl of the darkness within him. It twisted and writhed in an attempt to get to his soul, but Riku fought back with all his will. Riku could admit that a few years back the darkness was fascinating, but these days he had a mission to fulfill and he couldn't succumb now. A flash caught his attention and Denik approached him, placing a firm hand on the boy's back. Riku felt the dark begin to recede into the fissures of his soul, subdued for the time being.

"The dark is strong within you, Riku. Not even I can truly vanquish it. Tell me, child, have you embraced the dark before?" Denik helped Riku steady himself as he questioned him.

"I'll be honest, when I was younger… the dark always appealed to me. I wanted that seclusion and the power I felt within me. It was like a drug. Dad always helped me through it. He didn't want to see me turn." Riku's voice was weak from his struggle and he had to prop himself up against the pillar just to stand.

"You are endangering yourself with this anger, Riku. Your target is not Sorochi. He was merely a victim of fate, but your mother was victim of the Heartless. They are your enemy, do not succumb to them. The dark may seem tantalizing from time to time, but you cannot let it take you, for the sake of mankind and your friends and family. Do not let it take you." Denik's warning caught Riku's attention, but the boy merely gave a nod and straightened himself. He wandered around the rotunda in silence for quite some time, reflecting on memories of his mother. From under his collar Riku pulled a crystal pendant. He stared longingly into it before clenching it tightly in his hand.

"I'm doing this for you, mom."

"_Fool, you shall not have her! You will fail and you will watch the world become consumed by the dark!"_ Riku bit his lip and pushed the dark thoughts to the recesses of his mind, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"We need to head out as fast as possible." Riku spoke up, turning to Denik.

"But the trials have only—"

"The longer we stand around and fight simulations, the longer the darkness has to take hold. We have experience and we can fight. We need to get out there and face the real deal. As real as your simulations are, killing them won't save the world. Trial and error. We have to fight." Riku gripped the hilt of one of his swords tightly, the other hand a clenched fist. Denik scanned the boy and a smirk formed across his face.

"Very well, if you believe that you are ready, then to Bastion you shall go. I'll have a transport ready for you with the half hour." Riku smiled and gave a nod as Denik vanished. Breaking out into a jog, Riku flew down the winding halls and up to the balcony. Sorochi and Kairi stood, in each other's arms, staring out at their destination with smiles on their faces. Riku chuckled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Hey, lovebirds, get geared up! We're heading out in thirty!" Riku's voice startled both of them, causing them to separate with blushing cheeks.

"What about the other trials?" Kairi questioned, pulling her hair from her face.

"Fuck 'em. They aren't doing anything for the world. The three of us are smart and have experience. We can do this. Just remember, this isn't a simulation. We _can_ die out there. Don't screw up." Riku explained as he passed them and made his way down the dining hall stairs. Sorochi gave a shrug and checked his bandolier and gunblade, confirming the weapon was loaded. He and Kairi fell in behind Riku, following him down and down the stairs. The trio followed signs which pointed to a hangar at the bottom of the sprawling fortress. Sorochi caught sight of massive cannons loaded with rounds that appeared to be made of solid light. This fortress was ready for any darkness that dared pass the city.

A few more steps led the trio into yet another massive open room. This one was full of control towers built high above the ground, overlooking the hangar bay. Workers ran frantically about, assisting pilots and their craft in taking off and landing, as well as loading and unloading cargo and fuel. Ships of all sizes landed in the bay. From small one-man speeders to large transport barges, the hangar saw its fair share of odd shapes. Denik appeared before them, directing them to a three-man vessel. Massive engines, complete with large wings, sat toward the rear, with a main engine jutting out the rear. The front of the ship tapered off to a point from the sides, top, and bottom. A steel and glass canopy sat on the top, complete with three leather seats with a console at the front of each. The entire vessel matched the color scheme of the Castrum, save for the blue canopy and light grey thrusters.

"Welcome to the Gummi Ship; our most versatile and oldest fighter. She has been modified multiple times; most recently she received an updated frame. Take care of her and she'll take care of you. The front seat controls the ship, the left seat controls the rotary cannons at her nose and the missile racks on her wings. Right seat is equipped with a digital map and sonar and radar systems. This ship is capable of underwater travel, air travel, and interstellar travel." Riku let out an admiring whistle and walked around the fighter, taking a good look at her.

"I love her. Is she easy to fly?" Riku asked as he climbed the ladder to the cockpit.

"Pretty easy. Left is left. Right is right. Up is down and down is up. Master that and you will be fine. The other stations are easy to figure out as well." Denik explained as Riku found his place at the pilot's seat, clipping his backpack to the seat. Sorochi entered the cockpit next, taking a seat at the weapons station. Kairi took her place at the navigation station. All three of them clipped in and made sure they were secure in their seats. Denik peered up at them from the deck below with a hopeful smirk.

"Good luck and be cautious. The darkness is unforgiving and ruthless. It will take all three of you to succeed." All three teens returned Denik's warning with a nod. As Riku powered up the Gummi Ship, the door into the hangar slid open and out ran Cal, heading for the trio and Denik.

"Wait!" Cal caught up to the master's side and caught his breath, looking up at his children and Sorochi with a frown. "You're leaving so soon? You're sure you're ready?"

"Yeah. We have to be. We can't waste time here, dad. What happened to mom is going to happen everywhere and I can't let that happen." Riku answered, calling out over the rumbling of the engines. Cal clambered up the ladder and took hold of his son's hand, tears welling in his eyes.

"You take care of them, Riku! You hear me? I won't lose you like I lost your mother." The man pleaded, wrapping one arm around his son's shoulders.

"I'll make sure we make it back. All of us." Riku reached one hand across his father and patted his back. Cal let go of his son and nodded, waving goodbye to Sorochi and his daughter.

"I love you, both of you. And best of luck to you, Sorochi. I hope you find your parents. I will pray for their safety."

"Thanks. I hope so, too." Sorochi managed a smile, despite his nervousness.

"I love you too, dad." Kairi managed to get out her final words as her father left the canopy. Riku tapped a button and the canopy of the Gummi Ship slid closed with a click. With a single click, Riku disengaged the landing struts and brought the Gummi Ship to a hover.

"Ready?" he looked back at his sister and newfound friend. All three of them knew that, once they left this hangar, there was no turning back. Sorochi gave a nod and, after some hesitation, Kairi did the same. Riku turned back and put a decent amount into the throttle, feeling his stomach quench as the ship tore out of the hangar. Kairi and Sorochi held on tightly as ship tore through the sky and clouds, speeding toward the darkened ruins of Bastion. This was it; the die had been cast. They were on their own for their first true test and it all rode on this.


	4. Chapter 4

IV

Riku pulled the Gummi Ship into a slow, steady speed, gently approaching the blackened ruins. The radar began to wail with low beeps, signaling the vast amounts of Heartless crawling beneath them. Riku scanned the console for a moment and found just what he wanted. He slid open a drawer and found within it a small bracelet with two buttons. One was labeled "RETURN" the other "STRAFE". The boy snapped the bracelet onto his right wrist and triggered the auto-pilot.

"Get ready, the Gummi Ship's about to beam us down." Riku stepped into the center of the canopy, drawing his blades. Sorochi and Kairi exited their seats and brandished their respective weapons.

"**Commencing beam drop in three…**" An automated, female voice sounded from a speaker somewhere on the ship. The three teens braced themselves, giving each other one final encouraging smile. "**two… one… zero.**" Instantaneously the trio appeared just outside the ruins of Bastion. The once green grass was now brittle and brown, crunching beneath the teens' feet. The air was stale and rank, just as it had been in the simulation. The thick dark clouds made it extremely difficult, but high above the ruins stood a crumbling castle. Its towers leaned precariously, just barely holding on to the bits of mountain they rested upon. Sorochi felt uneasy, fearing this massive structure could come crashing down on them at any moment.

"We better watch out for that." Sorochi pointed up to the castle with his blade.

"Damn. Yeah, we'll keep an eye on it." Riku acknowledged the danger and pressed forward into the barren ruins. The only sound within came in the form of growls and hisses within the dark clouds and buildings, leaving all three of the warriors uneasy. Cautiously they crept through the ruins, stepping over shards of glass, abandoned bicycles, and fallen street lights. Businesses in the market district were engulfed in black, with windows shattered and doors torn from their hinges. A growl caught the teens' ears and from the stores crawled blackened humans. Two long tendrils whipped around behind their heads and razor sharp claws dug into the cobblestone paths. Six of them surrounded the trio, their guttural growls sending shivers up the spines of Sorochi and Kairi. Three charged; one taking on each of the teens. Sorochi took aim and fired, but was met with surprise when the Heartless strafed and stood clear of the bullet. Riku charged the hollow human before him, running full speed at the snarling beast. At the last second, Riku took a turn and ran along the store wall. The teen flipped around behind the Heartless and drove both swords deep into its back. The same black ooze coated the ground as the beast faded into the wind.

"C'mon!" Sorochi taunted his opponent, who had perched itself on a fence for a pounce. A shot rang out and the Heartless fell, sludge oozing from its skull.

"Stop pushing your luck, kid!" Riku snapped, driving his sword into the stomach of a pouncing Heartless. The beast let out a long screech as its ooze splattered onto Riku's chest and face. Kairi struck down her opponent with the sharpened end of her staff and stood ready. The two remaining Heartless rose to their feet and let loose high-pitched screams, which echoed throughout the dark.

"Get ready!" called Sorochi was he watched sets of eyes light up around them. Soon eight more abominations crawled out from the dark, two of which were dressed in thick silver armor and brandishing swords.

"Guardsman. Watch them, take out the weak ones first!" No sooner had Riku got out those words did the onslaught begin. The Heartless charged full force, growling and spitting as they came.

"Cover me!" called Kairi as she knelt down and stuck her staff in the dirt. Sorochi and Riku stood around her, cutting down the advancing creatures as they came. Riku swung down at one of them, but the black trickster flattened itself into the ground and moved around toward Kairi.

"They're like shadows!" Sorochi called as another did the same. Sorochi wheeled around and caught one of the shadowy creatures in the head, the ethereal round dissolving the flesh around it. Riku fired off two rounds as Kairi's assailant rose. The Heartless dropped and Riku turned his attention back to the coming horde. They were seemingly multiplying, pouring out from the alleys and shops in never-ending waves. The two guardsmen approached the trio, their swords poised to strike. Sorochi raised his blade up and caught the guardsman's blow. The Heartless pushed harder and harder down and Sorochi felt his knee starting to buckle. Riku managed to slide out of the way of his attacker, kicking the guardsman back to keep him away from Kairi. A bright flash caught Riku's eye just as Sorochi's gunblade was flung from his hands. From Kairi's staff a massive wave of light was emitted, spreading out in all directions. The Heartless around eviscerated, evaporating into the evening sky. The dark clouds around the immediate district lifted and the growls and screams ceased.

"Damn, sis." Riku slid one sword into its sheathe and helped Sorochi onto his feet.

"Denik taught me that one. Unfortunately, it only cleared this district." Kairi frowned and took a moment to look around. The clear streets revealed blood stains and torn clothing. Bullet holes and sword scuffs showed signs of a useless struggle. Kairi shook her head and turned her attention back to the others.

"So what was it we were supposed to do anyway?" asked Sorochi, fetching his gunblade from the path.

"Denik said we might find answers in the castle. Unfortunately, the castle seems to be a teetering deathtrap." Riku peered up at the leaning towers just a few blocks down the road. "Luckily we're close. We may just have to risk it. It's all we've got right now." Riku started off for the castle, noticing an abnormally thick black cloud up the road. Sorochi and Kairi cautiously followed in behind him, scanning the black clouds around them for any signs of life. The growls and howls had ceased altogether and Sorochi could not spot any peering yellow eyes.

"Something's not right." Sorochi whispered as if it would hide them from whatever was lurking in the dark. Riku opened his mouth to speak, but a raspy huff stopped him. The trio stopped and readied their weapons. From the dark cloud at the end of the road stepped an armored hoof and yet another huff filled the air. Two long and curved tusks breached the black cloud, armored from tip to base. Slowly, and with multiple huffs, and black boar adorned with full silver body armor stepped out from the darkness. Its soulless yellow eyes looked out from tiny slits in the armor, staring down its opponents.

"A sword's not going to pierce that armor." Riku observed.

"Then what do we do?" Sorochi asked, not taking his eyes off of the boar. The boar let out a massive bellow and stamped its hoof twice before barreling down the street.

"MOVE!" Riku dove into the remnants of a store, pulling Kairi with him. Sorochi panicked, the boar snarling and bearing down on him. Gripping onto his gunblade, Sorochi ran forward, waiting for the boar to lower its snout. On queue, the Heartless snarled and lowered its head; its sights locked on Sorochi. Sorochi slammed his foot into its snout, just between the tusks, and pushed off, using the momentum to launch himself into the air. Taking aim, the boy fired off three rounds into the boar's back. It bellowed as the magic ate away at the armor, causing three panels to thud to the floor and whither away.

"When it turns, stab its back! I'll distract it!" Sorochi shouted to Riku, who barely heard the boy over the boar's snorting and bellowing. "C'mon, you big strip of rotten pork!" Sorochi tapped his blade in front of him then took aim. The boar charged and Sorochi let loose a hail of his remaining bullets. They connected with the boar's right shoulder, right tusk, and the top of its head, melting the armor. The boar's right tusk fell to the dirt and caused the boar to stagger in agony. Riku vaulted the store window and sped toward the boar, hopping off of a fallen crate and onto the beast's back. The teen stabbed into the its back, holding tight to his sword as it thrashed back and forth to toss the warrior. Riku raised his other sword high and brought it down deep into the boar's eye, driving it down through the roof of its mouth. The boar bellowed, bucking the teen from its back. Riku landed hard just inches from the boar's flailing tusk and watched as the beast swayed and keeled onto its side. In a matter of seconds the massive armored beast withered away into the sky. The thick dark cloud covering the castle's entrance dissipated, revealing a shattered archway.

"Riku!" Kairi slid to his brother's side, but the boy waved her off.

"I'm fine, just a little back pain." Sorochi stepped over and helped him to his feet. "Thanks. Good job out there." Riku shook Sorochi's hand before letting go of it.

"Same to you." Sorochi turned back to the castle, observing the entrance while Riku collected his swords. It appeared that the true entrance to the castle was behind the archway and from their position Sorochi could see there was a gap between. "Looks like we've got a moat here. Hopefully they left the bridge down." Sorochi allowed Riku to take point, following close behind. The trio ascended the decaying stone steps up to the shattered archway.

"Dammit!" Sorochi saw the cause for the Riku's distress and frowned. The bridge, unfortunately, was still raised. Riku ran his hands through his hair and looked around, looking for some sort of alternative. Sorochi studied the bridge in detail and followed the massive chains up to two pulleys. Tearing a set of bullets from his bandolier, the boy reloaded his gunblade and took aim. One shot rang out and caught Riku's attention, the silver-haired teen watching as the left chain snapped. The bridge buckled and swayed slightly on the remaining chain. Sorochi took aim once more and let another shot fly, dissolving the remaining chain and sending the bridge toppling down. It landed before them with a thud, loosing a couple rotted planks in the process.

"Nice shots." Kairi complimented, an approving smirk across her face.

"I try." The boy shrugged and motioned for Riku to get walking.

"Yeah, yeah." Riku pressed forward, approaching the towering castle entrance. A hiss filled the air and the trio halted, all three scanning the area for a sign of life. A thick black cloud slithered up to the entrance from within the castle, blocking off the teens' path. "Oh, c'mon!" A deep, echoing laughter caught their ears, resonating from above the cloud. The teens caught sight of a figure dressed in a long black cloak, which nearly brushed the ground. White trim ran up the front around the pitch-black buttons and up the front of the massive hood. The sleeves and chest were raised, Sorochi assuming them to be armored, and spattered with bloodstains. From their position the man's face was hidden by shadows, all except for his yellow-orange eyes.

"_Welcome, warriors of light! You thought you could simply walk in here and take everything for yourselves?"_ the voice was deep, raspy, and seemed to echo through the air.

"Well you haven't exactly thrown anything out that successfully stopped us. So I'd say yes, we did." Riku retorted, pointing his sword up to the cloaked figure. That same bone-chilling laughter filled the air and the hood shook from side to side.

"_So naïve. You wish to throw yourselves against the everlasting dark, hoping that the light will vanquish us? How wrong you are. A vessel has been found, a vessel from which we can draw infinite power to the Heartless. Hate, anguish, despair; the darkest of human emotions feed the Heartless. We consume the hearts of those lost to these emotions and feed our everlasting army-"_

"You about done? We have a world to save!" Sorochi shifted impatiently, gripping tightly to his blade.

"_So eager to rush to your own demise. Alas I must depart as well. There is much more to be done. I assure you, however, you will not leave these ruins alive."_ These final foreboding words marked the man's departure. He vanished in a shroud of darkness and the cloud across the entrance vanished.

"What a creep." Kairi taunted, tapping the ground with her staff.

"Whoever he was, he's not a problem now. Let's move on." Riku signaled for the others to follow and entered the castle. "We're looking for most likely the throne room or the library. Throne room should be easy to find. We'll head their first." Riku pointed up a wide set of stairs with his sword. At the top stood two massive oak doors and swirling black clouds. Around them, shadows arose from the stone, snarling at the trio. Riku sheathed his swords and drew his revolvers, firing off into the shadows. Kairi sprayed a hail of needle-like shards of light toward the Heartless, which tore through them with ease. From the side walls of the foyer, four knight statues came to life, yellow eyes peering from their helmets. The knights charged the teens, swinging their swords with expertise. Kairi blasted one with light, tearing through its armor, but no vanquishing it. The hulking suit brought down its sword, narrowly missing Kairi as she side-stepped away. Riku ran his sword through a crack in his opponent's armor, twisting it around until the knight dropped in agony. Riku clambered up the suit and rammed his sword into the black cloud at its neck, eviscerating the Heartless within. The teen leaped off and sprinted to Kairi, jumping and landing a kick on the knight's swinging arm. The knight bellowed and dropped his sword, leaving him open for both Riku and Kairi. Kairi blasted the beast with a charged light burst, vanquishing the shadow within.

Meanwhile, Sorochi back-stepped away from a swinging knight, but not enough to fully dodge the hit. The edge of the blade sliced along Sorochi's right arm, bringing the boy to his knees. Riku loaded his revolver and slammed all six shots into the knight's chest, dropping it in an instant. The fourth knight charged Riku brandishing a halberd. Riku timed his attack and, just as Sorochi with the boar, leapt off the halberd's blade and landed on the knight's shoulders. Riku plunged his sword deep into the helmet, piercing through steel and cloud. The knight wavered then fell to its knees, fading away as Riku flipped off of it. Kairi had rushed to Sorochi's side. The top and right side of his right arm were slashed, with blood trickling down to the floor.

"Riku! Keep his wound stable, I'm going to get bandages!" Riku slid over and tore off part of his pants. He tied it tightly around the upper part of Sorochi's arm, cutting off the blood flow for the time being. Rummaging through her pack, Kairi found herbs she had ground up for this kind of situation. "Here, these'll slow the bleeding." Kairi sprinkled the herbs through out the wound. From her pack she fished bandages, and began weaving them around the boy's arm, tightening it slightly with each wrap. Sticking a metal clip through the final weave to keep it in place, Kairi helped the boy to his feet.

"Thanks. I owe ya two now."

"Don't sweat it. Can you still use that arm?" Kairi asked, examining the her work.

"Kind of. It's sore as hell, but I think I can manage." Sorochi bent and unbent his arm a few times to make sure. Riku helped him undo the tourniquet as the herbs took effect. "Shall we move on?" Sorochi motioned to the throne room doors. Riku gave a nod and led on reaching the oak doors and placing his hand firmly on the handle.

"You sure we should head in here first? Who knows what could be on the other side of that door." Kairi's worry spread amongst the boys and Riku let go of the handle.

"You're right. We should probably find the library—" Riku was interrupted by a tremor vibrating through the foyer. The teens instinctively hit the deck and listened as one of the tilting towers came crumbling down. Riku slowly rose to his feet and signaled for the others to once it was clear. "Whatever we're doing, we better move fast. This place won't hold much longer." Sorochi and Kairi nodded and the three made their way down the main stairs. Most castles around this area held their library deep in the area's underground facilities. This would keep them safe during attacks and hidden from lowly bandits. Sorochi wondered what horrid creatures could be awaiting them below.

The thick clouds of darkness became more abundant as they descended into the lower sanctum. Just beyond two doors was the library, marked by a rotting sign between the doors. Two shadows emerged from each side, claws swinging. Sorochi and Riku effortlessly cut the beasts down and moved up to one of the doors.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Sorochi gave a nod.

"Three… two… one!" Riku kicked open the door and they both filed through, Kairi coming closely behind. Inside, four shadows lined the sides of the main path, their attention snapping from each other to the teens. At the end of the hall stood a short figure cloaked in red robes. Atop its head rested a matching wizard's cap, a ball of ethereal fire burning just above. The figure turned away from a pedestal, its bright yellow eyes widening in surprise. In a flash, the cloaked Heartless hurled a fireball toward Sorochi, who rolled just beneath it. Two shadows charged the recovering boy, but were cut down by a defensive Riku. Kairi slammed her staffed into the wood floor. A thick shield of pure light erected in front of Riku and Sorochi, keeping the Heartless at bay.

"On my count, go for the pyro. Three…" Sorochi and Riku gripped their swords anxiously. "Two… one!" The shield shattered forward into shards of light, cutting down the remaining down the front four shadows, leaving only two standing. Sorochi and Riku sprinted up to the pyro, swords at their sides, catching the shadows as they ran. The pyro convulsed and tossed another spark, this one landing on the hilt of Sorochi's gunblade. The boy dropped the superheated hilt in an instant, but kept his advance.

"Sorochi!" The boy looked in time to catch one of Riku's swords. Both of them slid around the pyro and ran their swords through the Heartless' back. It convulsed once more before exploding in a fiery burst. The boys fell backwards, minor burns littering their arms and clothing. Kairi rushed to them, but sighed with relief when the two chuckled and rose to their feet. Sorochi strolled over to his gunblade and snatched it up, sheathing it for the moment.

"Let's see what this mage here was reading." Riku walked around the pedestal, finding a tattered document perched atop it. "Acquiring a vessel stands as the last obstacle of our plan. Once we have procured a suitable subject, then the final phase can commence, the ancient moon will arise, and the world shall fall dark. Any idea what it means?" Riku waved the document back and forth, looking from his sister to his friend and back again.

"No clue. I don't know much of this world's ancient history. Besides, I doubt text would say anything, very few people seem to know about any of these light and dark wars." Sorochi took a look at his wound as he spoke.

"Yeah. 'The ancient moon will arise.' We'll have to ask Denik about it. See what he knows. Let's go check that throne room for anymore clues." Riku started off toward the doors. The trio made their way back up the steps to the throne room doors. Sorochi and Riku both took a moment to reload their firearms, readying up for what may lie on the other side. "Alright, we're not barging in this time. Just take it slow and steady. Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do it." With that, Riku slowly pushed open the massive door, careful not to cause a creak. The throne room was every bit as massive as Denik's. Stone pillars rose high to unite with long arches. Tall glass windows peered out at the darkness around the city, letting very little light into the room. Swords and shields lined the walls and various rotting and damaged paintings hung loosely from their mounts. A long red carpet led to the center of the room, where a black mass lie. Its breathing was heavy and it let out a low growl with each exhale. "What the hell is that?" Sorochi whispered to Riku, keeping his eyes on the mass. Riku could make out the pattern of scales lining the mass and long, collapsed spines running the length of it.

"Oh shit." Riku's voice was just above a whisper, but that's was all that was needed. The breathing halted momentarily and three massive heads rose nearly to the ceiling, hissing as they went. The Hydra spun on his dragging stomach using its mighty legs, now facing the trio. The heads reared back and, in unison, let out a low hiss. "Stay calm and watch out for the heads. Once I take off a head, hit the stumps with those rounds! If you don't do it fast enough—"

"It'll grow more heads, I know." Sorochi finished Riku's sentence and took a deep breath, calming his shaking hands. Two of the Hydra's heads reared back and shot forward with incredible speed. The three teens managed to roll away from the massive blows, narrowly avoiding death. The heads left small craters in the floor as they arose and reared back for another go.

"Kairi, try and slice its tendrils while we deal with the heads! I'd rather not get taken by surprise and become lunch!" Riku called back to his sister as he circled around the Hydra, preparing to slice at the heads with the next barrage. Both heads came barreling down once more and narrowly missed the boys again. Riku brought both swords down and started to saw away at the neck's thick scales. The Hydra screeched as Sorochi followed suit, and raised its heads once more. Tendrils shot out in every which way, but were met by shards of light shot out from Kairi's staff. The Hydra hissed again and swept the ground with one mighty hand, knocking Sorochi off of his feet. A tendril shot for the boy, but Sorochi managed to recover and split it in two. Riku clambered up a shattered pillar and waited for another head barrage. The right head shot out towards him and the boy jumped bringing down his sword on his already afflicted wound. The cut drove deeper to the bone and caused an almost ear-splitting screech from the head. The Hydra wailed and the head frantically attempt to shake the boy. Kairi's light bolts kept Riku safe momentarily as he dug deeper into the Hydra's right neck. In one final swoop, the head was dislodged, thudding to the ground.

"NOW!" On command, Sorochi fired three rounds at the stump, melting away the very core of the Hydra's neck. The decapitated head screeched and vanished in an instant, leaving only black sludge. Aggravated with Kairi's interference, the Hydra shot a powerful stream of water, knocking the girl off of her feet. Tendrils shot out, wrapping around the girl's calf before she could react. "NO!" Riku clambered up the bleeding stump and hopped onto the spines on the middle neck, racing up them as the tendril dangled Kairi helplessly over the head's gaping maw.

"RIKU! SOROCHI!" Kairi cried as loud as her lungs would allow, staring down into the hissing throat of the beast. Riku launched himself off the final spine ran up the head. In one, adrenaline filled thrust, Riku gouged the Hydra's eye causing it to stagger back and screech in agony. Sorochi took aim and blasted the tendril, sprinting over to catch Kairi as she plummeted to the stone below. The boy slid and caught the girl just in time, taking most of her fall. Kairi, shaking tremendously, managed to stand and quickly helped Sorochi to his feet. Sorochi's bones and back ached, but the adrenaline pumping through him made the boy ignore it for now. Still angered and fueled with adrenaline, Riku slid down the side of the Hydra's head on his sword. The beast's top jaw, with Riku now atop it, fell to the floor. The left head slammed down between the teens, knocking them back. Riku recovered and a side of him unknown to the others took hold.

"_Come here, you son of a bitch!" _Riku's blade swirled with a black energy not unlike the clouds around the city. One overhand stab pierced through the left neck and Riku pulled the sword straight across. Sorochi took aim and blazed the stump, watching as the fallen head evaporated. Riku took off, dark fog trailing from his as he thrust his sword deep into the Hydra's chest, piercing a lung. The Hydra raised its hand and smacked the boy away, wheezing through the motion. Sorochi reloaded and fired off a full magazine into the Hydra's throat, burning a hole almost straight through. Kairi finished up, conjuring a light shield in front of the Hydra and shattering it. The head fell as the shards pierced the throat and the ethereal flame burned the remaining stump. The heavily damaged head dissipated as it fell and the Hydra's body gave one final heave before vanishing into particles. Sorochi caught his breath and watched Kairi run to her brother's side, following soon after. Riku pulled himself onto his hands and knees, rubbing his forehead with a groan.

"Riku?" Kairi placed a soft hand on his back, taking a look at him for injuries. The Hydra's talons had left some scratches in his lower back, but nothing she was rushing to fix.

"Did… did we get it?"

"Yeah, it's done. Sorochi." Kairi beckoned the boy over as she hoisted Riku's arm onto her shoulders. Sorochi hoisted Riku's other arm onto his shoulders.

"Hey."

"Yeah?" Kairi and Sorochi answered at nearly the same time.

"You know how I said we were ready? Fuck that…" Riku said with a light chuckle. Sorochi managed a smile and took a quick look around the room.

"Hold on a second. You got him, Kairi?"

"Yeah." Kairi got a better hold of her brother and watched Sorochi approach a small dark cloud. It surrounded a pedestal of some sort, but Sorochi couldn't tell what sat atop it. Sorochi held his hand out to the darkness, but was unable to pass through it. The boy began to take his hand back, but a bright flash of light, resonating from beneath his palm, knocked the dark away and caught his attention. In his palm formed a golden hilt formed, leading to a large golden cross. From the cross tapered a long golden blade, which lit up the room and cleared the dark around Sorochi.

"Well I'll be damned." Riku weakly muttered, a smile forming across his exhausted face. Sorochi's eyes widened and the boy was taken speechless.

"The Depuratore…" Kairi stammered, just as taken aback as the boy wielding it. Before Sorochi stood the pedestal, a perfect indent of the Depuratore engraved in the massive white slab atop it. Sorochi carefully placed the sword in the indent, hearing a gentle click. Streams of light shot out in all directions then came together on the pedestal. In a quick flash, a beam of light shot straight into the sky, clouds swirling around it, and shot outwards. The light swept away the darkness around the ruins, utterly annihilating any traces of it. The setting sun cast its rays over the mountains, casting shadows and warmth across the ruins. The light beam began to die and faded back into its vessel; the Depuratore. Sorochi picked up the sword and jumped when it vanished as quickly as it came.

"I had a feeling you'd be the one." Riku broke the odd silence that followed the sword's departure.

"Heh." Sorochi had no words for the moment. He was both confused and proud. He had received the honor of holding the sword that would save them all, but he wondered why? As they walked out of the castle, the boy pondered this, the trio staying comfortably silent.

"I can walk, really." Riku said, letting go of his sister.

"Okay." Kairi gave a nod and let go of him. She took a moment to be thankful she was alive and to get a good stretch. Riku pressed the "RETURN" key on his bracelet and nearly jumped at the speed the Gummi Ship return. In the following second they had returned to the cockpit and taken their respective seats.

"That was a close one back there. Let's not do that again, alright?" Riku swiveled his chair around, letting the autopilot return them to the Castrum.

"Tell me about it." Kairi relaxed, allowing her arms to fall lazily at her side and her eyes to close. All of them had thoughts of Riku's episode, but no one wanted to bring it up yet. They had just achieved a victory and, on top of that, purified the town and gained a rough idea of the Heartless' plot. In Sorochi's mind, despite the few near-death encounters, it was a pretty successful day.


	5. Chapter 5

V

A low hum signaled the Gummi Ship's return to the hangar. Sorochi realized their emotional goodbye may have been a bit premature, but he supposed there was always a chance they could have died in Bastion. The landing skids gently touched down on the metallic floor and Riku killed the engines. The canopy popped open with a hiss and the teens were happily met by Cal and the still stern faced Denik.

"You returned! I never doubted you for a second!" Cal called up to the trio as they exited the cockpit and gladly met safe ground. Kairi tightly embraced her father, happy to be alive and well to see him again. Riku cracked a smile and patted his father's back. Sorochi gave a grin and leaned lazily back against the Gummi Ship. The boy was exhausted and his arm ached. Sleep had practically eluded him the previous night and, after all of the chaos and information thrust at him today, Sorochi couldn't wait for sleep to take him.

"Congratulations. You successfully purified the Bastion ruins and vanquished the dark from our doorstep. However, there is much more on the road ahead, do not celebrate too much." Denik looked from warrior to warrior as they all stood to face him. "I see you did not come back without injury."

"No, sir. The Heartless were as relentless as you had described. Our encounter with the Hydra… could have gone better, but we managed." Despite his still hoarse voice, Riku was the one to speak.

"Very good. Sorochi, you now hold the key to our survival. Can you hold that responsibility?" Denik questioned the silent boy. Sorochi hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. The boy settled for a nod. "With words, warrior."

"Yes, sir. I can."

"Good. Now, I have arranged quarters for the three of you, up one floor and to the left. I expect all of you to get a good rest. We have much to do tomorrow." Sorochi and Kairi made their way to the door, but Denik stopped Riku before he could go. "Not you, Riku. We have much to talk about."

"Yes, sir. I'll catch up with you guys!" Riku waved off Sorochi and Kairi, watching the couple disappear through the door before facing his master. "What'd you need?"

"Cal, could you excuse us?" Cal gave a nod and Denik warped himself and Riku to the rotunda of statues he spoken to Sorochi in. "I sensed the darkness peak inside of you earlier, Riku."

"We were fighting the Hydra… and it almost killed my sister. I lost control of myself and I—"

"You let anger take ahold of you. Riku, you can't let your emotions run your actions. I have followed you all of your life. The Riku I watched was not as naïve as the one I am seeing here. You are still maturing, I understand that, but one of these episodes is going to turn into something you will not want to return from. Do you want your sister to have to watch Sorochi strike you down? We both know she will not have the strength herself."

"I know. I know!" Riku let out a sigh and rested his forehead against a pillar. "I mean what can I do? I've lived this way for most of my life. Always embracing the darkness and letting shit get the better of me! Dad saw it, you've seen it; it's tearing at me and I don't know what to do. I'm not the know-it-all tough guy my sister needs me to be anymore." Riku bit his lip at the thought and landed a punch against the pillar, ignoring the pain.

"That won't get you anywhere. Anger is what leads to darkness. You have to learn to control that emotion, Riku. I can help you." Riku took a moment to collect himself, thinking over his latest episode and what it could have done had the Hydra not literally knocked sense into him. Riku took a long, slow breath and let his body relax, peeling himself away from the pillar.

"Alright. Go ahead."

"First, rest. We'll work on your control later, but for now you need rest. The frontline was pushed back and we have better knowledge of the Heartless' intentions. We have time."

"Yeah."

Sorochi and Kairi took the spiral staircase up to a hallway just above the hanger. Busts of the various philosophers and warriors lined the walls below double gold lines. The left hall ended with only one door, which opened up to a large room lined with three oak dressers, a large oak closet, and three queen-sized mattresses. A retractable wall divided each set of beds and dressers and each section held its own lighting. Sorochi noticed a door on his right which he presumed led to a bathroom. Passing it in his tour confirmed his assumption, the boy seeing a near mirror image of the bathroom in the Redmond home. The door adjacent it led out to yet another balcony, this one overlooking a vast forest, no doubt part of the withering one near Bastion. Kairi stepped out onto the balcony, joining Sorochi at his side.

"Good work back there." Sorochi lightly pat Kairi's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. You too! That was a close one." Kairi let out a nervous chuckle, reflecting back on those long and terrifying seconds above the Hydra.

"Yeah. Hey, what's going on with Riku?" Sorochi's words brought a frown across Kairi's face.

"Darkness." Sorochi's eyes widened then sank down to stare at the floor. "Riku was always enticed by the dark when he was younger. Dad thinks that it took a deeper foothold within his soul than the rest of us. He blames it on himself for not raising Riku properly. It was always fight and train, fight and train. There was very little downtime to help develop a purer heart within Riku." Kairi took a pause, fighting back a few stinging tears. Sorochi wrapped his arm around the girl and pulled her closer, embracing her. "Mother's death may have accelerated the growth of the darkness inside of him. I'm afraid that he'll fall into that darkness to save mom. And… and I don't want that!" Kairi clung tightly to Sorochi's jacket, her tears wetting his chest. Sorochi leaned his head against hers and rocked her gently.

"Shhh. That won't happen. Okay? He has us to help him through this, to keep him together. We'll keep him with us, I promise." Sorochi whispered, closing his eyes as he comforted the shaking girl in his arms. Kairi's tears lessened until she pulled back from Sorochi, a weak smile on her face.

"Thanks, Sorochi." Kairi stood up on her toes and kissed the boy's cheek.

"Don't mention it." Sorochi smiled and watched the girl head back into the bedroom. Sorochi turned back and peered out at the night sky. He began to wonder if the night, in some way, amplified the darkness. After all, fear always ran high at night and fear can lead to the most rash of decisions and emotions. Sorochi closed his eyes and muttered a prayer for those braving the night. "We will save you, I promise." Sorochi spoke out to the world as if all could hear him. The boy turned on his heel and returned to the bedroom. The wall between the closest bed and the middle bed had been pulled closed and Sorochi heard rustling in the middle bed. "I see you've claimed your bed." Sorochi called as he sat down on the one left free for him.

"Yep! Honestly, I felt a little safer between you two." Kairi called back, shifting once more in bed. Sorochi grinned and kicked off his boots, swinging his legs up onto the bed. The boy folded his arms back behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. The fight with the Hydra lingered in his mind. Kairi's near-death encounter, Riku's dark episode, and Sorochi's close calls with the Hydra's massive heads proved something to Sorochi. They were not as ready as Riku had led them to believe. Sorochi had his doubts before, but the various close encounters and reckless moves of today only increased his doubt. He saw where Riku was coming from; with every passing second the dark conquered more and more land. Still, what good were they as warriors if they nearly died with every encounter? Just as Sorochi had begun to drift away to sleep, the soft clicking of a closing door caught his ear. He heard footsteps make their way to the far bed and listened as the bed creaked beneath a yawning boy. Sorochi considered walking over and speaking with Riku, but the three of them needed rest and they'd handled enough for one day. With that in mind, Sorochi threw the blankets over him and settled in, drifting off to sleep faster than he'd had in years.

_Black waves slammed the coastal cliffs, tearing down rocks and boulders with each smack. Far beyond the cliffs stretched a vast blackened beach, continuing for what seemed like forever. Arches of solid black stone, some complete and others broken, stretched over the ocean near the shore. Across the beach paced a silver-haired boy, his aqua eyes trained on the charcoal grains beneath his feet. A glance to his right confirmed that a white moon was indeed reflecting off the dark sea. Halting, the boy turned to the ocean, feeling a heavy pull on his soul. The dark was whispering to him, calling for him to "cross from the In Between." The boy clenched his fists, glaring out at the dark ocean._

_"Come, boy. Follow the dark. United with the dark you can have all of your desires and return your precious mother." A cloaked figure floated above the dark waters, beckoning the boy to come. _

_ "No… they need me…" The boy took a struggling step back._

_ "Your father has prepared you for this. All of the fighting and the anger, it all led to the ever-increasing dark within your soul. Your friends will fail. The light is too late to stop us this time. Come with us, Riku, and you shall have all that the light could never give you. Power, control; victory." The cloaked figure came just to the edge of the shore and held out a gloved hand. Riku hesitated, staring deeply into the shadowy veil calling to him._

The morning sun's rays pierced the tall windows on Sorochi's left, shining down on the boy's face. Sorochi shifted, pulling the blankets up over his face. A giggle caught his ear and he managed to open one eye. Kairi's face hovering above him startled the boy and he jumped, throwing the blankets away from him. Kairi broke into laughter, supporting herself on Sorochi's dresser.

"Jesus, Kairi! That's one way to wake someone up!" Sorochi rubbed sleep from his eyes and stretched out his arms.

"Riku's up already. He must be down training with Denik." Kairi said as she strolled over to the door.

"Probably." Sorochi hopped up out of bed and followed her out into the hall. They hadn't reached the stairs when a concerned Cal clambered up the stairs, Denik not far behind.

"Kairi! Have you seen your brother this morning?" Cal asked, a sense of urgency and worry in his usually strong voice.

"No, I… I thought he was down training with you!" Kairi looked to Denik, but the man shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Riku has yet to report in with any of us." For the first time since they'd arrived, Denik had frowned from worry.

"Well then where is he?!" Kairi began to panic, running her hands through her hair. "Is the Gummi Ship gone?"

"No, it's still docked."

"Then where the hell did he go?" Sorochi was at a loss. If he wasn't in the Castrum and the Gummi Ship was still here, where could the boy possibly have gone and how did he leave?

"I'm not sure. Perhaps we can—" Denik was interrupted by an increasingly loud whistling resonating from outside the Castrum. It was followed by a rumble which rocked the entire fortress and nearly knocked the group to their knees. An alarm wailed across the fortress and the many armored statues came to life, rushing to what Sorochi and Kairi presumed were defensive positions.

"What's going on?" Kairi had to shout over the wailing alarm.

"I'm not sure. Meet me at the balcony." Denik vanished and the remaining four took off up the stairs. More whistles screamed from outside and the fortress shook with each one. Sorochi held on to Kairi as they ascended to the balcony. Peering out revealed a swarming mass of black and red, converging on the city below. Gargantuan shadows lie housed in battle wagons, their long and spindly arms attached to dark red siege towers. Cannons hooked to their backs lobbed balls of black, chaotic fire toward the fortress and city, burning holes through defenses. A horde of shadows flooded through the streets like a raging river, clawing at the first inner wall.

"My God…" Cal was utterly speechless, eyes locked on the carnage.

"How is this possible?" Sorochi stammered, turning his attention to the troubled master beside him.

"With Riku missing… we're missing a warrior in the fortress. Castrum's purification is run by the hearts of the warriors and since it adjusted to four—" Denik was interrupted by another tremor and watched in horror as a chunk of the simulation rotunda crumbled to the city below. The massive cannons below the balcony let loose a hail of light bolts, tearing through large chunks of the Heartless horde. With each blow, the Heartless filed in more and more numbers and tore deeper into the inner wall. Denik summoned his radiant blade, reassuming possession for the time being. He turned to Sorochi and Kairi, whose weapons were already drawn and ready. "You have to get out of here! We can not lose you in this assault!"

"What about you? What if the city falls?" Sorochi was reluctant to leave the city to possibly fall.

"Whoever is behind the Heartless has taken the hearts of a majority of the world! You must leave this world to regain your strength and gain assistance against the horde! This battle is not for you, not yet!"

"Where do we go?"

"To the King's Castle! The Gummi Ship knows the way! Now go!" The Castrum rumbled once more as Sorochi and Kairi appeared in the hangar bay. Transport ships and personal craft scrambled to escape the advancing horde, rocketing away into the morning sky. Sorochi aided Kairi in entering the Gummi Ship and took the pilot's seat. Remembering what Riku had done, Sorochi powered up the ship and set the auto-pilot.

"Kairi, type the King's Castle into the navigation program."

"**Commencing interstellar travel to King's Castle in three…**"

"Well never mind then." Sorochi said with a light chuckle as the voice counted to zero. The Gummi Ship hummed before rocketing out of the hangar bay and out over the black below. The Heartless had broken the inner wall and now spread through the city, meeting guards and light bolts alike. The massive siege shadows thundered their way to the city walls, bombarding the Castrum and letting loose even more Heartless. Bringing up the rear of the sea of black was a vessel, pitch black and crimson red. After a better look, Sorochi saw the bow open up and twist, black dagger teeth dripping black ooze. Massive tendrils whipped lazily from the bow and small, yellow eyes looked down on the burning city.

"That thing's alive!" Kairi exclaimed, sitting up to get a better look at the vessel. Two figures stood at the bow, overlooking the chaos below. Kairi could barely make out any real details, only that the one closer to the bow appeared to be the same cloaked figure from yesterday. The girl was unable to get a better look at the one behind him, for the Gummi Ship had entered the clouds and obscured her vision. With a sigh she sat back, staring out at a distant point in the stars. Sorochi relaxed. There was nothing they could do now. The survival of the fortress and its people was in the hands of Fate now.

"Hey, Kairi?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you aware of other worlds? Like, habited worlds?" Sorochi spun his chair around to face the girl. Kairi spun around as well and gave a shrug.

"Dad talked about the possibility. I always thought it was just a fun story he would tell me at bedtime. Guess I was wrong, huh?"

"Yeah. We've all had our fair share of surprises, haven't we?"

"Mhm." Kairi sighed and absent-mindedly ran her hand across her skirt. Sorochi reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder, offering a smile.

"We'll find him, alright?" Kairi looked up to the boy and managed a smile. With a click, the seats automatically snapped back to their original positions, startling the teens.

"**Commencing interstellar warp in three… two… one… zero.**" Sorochi held on tight to the armrests of his chair. His stomach lurched as the Gummi Ship tore through space and time with incredible speed and ended up in a totally unfamiliar, yet similar sector of space. Stars still surrounded them at every which way and a sun still gleamed in the distance, however their old home had vanished. Before them floated yet another planet, this one much smaller than their home. The planet was mostly a deep blue, with small specks of green designating chunks of land. The Gummi Ship positioned itself to fly towards the largest of the land masses. Sorochi was amazed to see another living planet, one he knew would be full of life, just like his own. "**Welcome to the King's Castle. ETA: Five minutes.**"

"What do you think the King's like?" Sorochi asked, spinning around once more.

"I can't say. I expected Denik to be older and more… crotchety. So, who knows!" Sorochi laughed at Kairi's expectation and took a moment to think.

"I've got nothin'. Guess we'll find out!" Sorochi turned back as the Gummi Ship broke the planet's atmosphere. Clouds sped past them as the Gummi Ship descended deeper and deeper towards land. The final layer of clouds tore past, revealing a sprawling, multi-tower castle. Each tower was topped with a blue cone, each flying an orange flag. The stone towers were littered with windows and blockades adorned the bases of the cones. The white stone was bordered and accented with gold trim, just as the Castrum they had fled. Arches and intricate designs could be seen throughout a majority of the structure, presenting a slight Gothic feel. A thick wall surrounded the castle, adorned with the same blockades as the towers. Sorochi caught glimpse of a golden drawbridge, raised high above the surrounding moat. The Gummi Ship passed a grand garden, full of hedges masterfully cut to portray the castle and what appeared to be various animals playing instruments. Sorochi especially liked the trumpet-playing pig, the concentration in his face beautifully captured. The Gummi Ship took a slow descent beneath the castle, flying carefully through a long, well-lit tunnel. The ship docked on a platform and Sorochi killed the engines. Before the boy unlatched himself, the platform lurched and rose up though a lighted shaft. The platform slowed and lurched to a halt. Sorochi got up from his seat and lifted the canopy, taking a good look around.

Horns, gizmos, and gears all steamed and creaked about, running anything from lights to the platform they stood on. A small control tower jutted out from the wall, with arches holding up a large, wooden bell-tower-like structure. The roof of the tower came to a point, lined with gold paint and surrounded with four gold-trimmed lanterns. Another wooden room, similar in size, stuck out from the wall, light illuminating from its many windows. A common shape occurred, a large circle with two smaller congruent circles sitting at an angle atop it. The massive false hangar door behind them bore an enlarged version of this symbol and Sorochi could have sworn he'd seen it outside. Despite all the life amongst the machinery, no living sounds could be heard.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Sorochi called out, his voice echoing slightly around the room. Kairi hopped down from the Gummi Ship, stepping up beside the boy.

"Oh joy! She's returned!" A small, high-pitched voice cried joyfully from the control tower.

"We must get her in and check her for damages!" another, very similar, voice called out. Down from the control tower scurried two small bits of fur, dressed in gloves and a multi-pocket apron. As they ran down the gears and slid down the slides, three long mechanical arms stretched down towards the Gummi Ship. White gloved hands pulled at various points on the Gummi Ship, checking for loose or damage. The rodents came to a halt on a dormant gear almost level with Sorochi and Kairi. They were chipmunks, one with light brown fur and a red nose and the other with a deeper brown fur and a black nose. The black-nosed one stepped forward and gave a firm salute.

"Chip and Dale, at your service! I'm Chip and that is my partner, Dale!"

"Pleased to meet ya!" the red-nosed chipmunk gave a wave.

"I'm Sorochi, and this is Kairi. Master Denik sent us here." Sorochi's report made the partners look wearily at each other.

"One moment please." Chip pardoned them and the fur-balls clambered up to the control tower. Chip stood on a button, putting his lips up to an intercom. "Donald, Goofy, we have some kids sent by Denik here! They need to speak with the King!"

The chipmunk's voice startled Goofy, causing the sleeping dog to fall from his perch on the hedges.

"Gawrsh!" The knight's chest and shoulder armor clanked as he pulled himself to his feet, brushing the dirt from his khaki cargo pants. "Ya hear that, Donald?" Goofy turned to the duck sitting lazily beside him, magician's hat tipped over his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard 'em!" The duck pulled himself to his feet and closed the zipper on his ocean blue vest. "Let's get this over with!" Donald waddled on, Goofy clanking shortly behind him.

"Whaddaya think they want?"

"Who knows! The King's been seeing a bunch of people lately. Not our business." Donald waved the knight's question away.

"But what if they're in trouble?"

"You ask that every time someone comes in here, Goofy! You can't keep assuming everyone's in danger!" Donald landed a light smack on the dog's knee.

"Well, what if that darkness the King's always goin' on about has been resuscitated?"

"Resurrected? I don't know, just stay focused!"

"Focused, right." Goofy's eyes had yet to leave Donald from their conversation and the dog tumbled head over heels down a set of stairs. Donald let out a sigh and smacked his forehead, shaking his head as he descended the steps properly.

Sorochi turned toward a commotion to his left. Down the stairs tumbled what appeared to be an armored dog. The chipmunks in the control tower let out a roar of laughter.

"Well, good to know Goofy's still himself!" Dale exclaimed, falling onto his back in his laughter. The armored dog picked himself up and snapped into a botched salute.

"Knight Goofy, at yer service!" Goofy stared off to the ceiling, directing his statement to no one in particular.

"Out of the way, you big palooka!" Donald pushed past the firm knight, waddling his way down to Sorochi and Kairi. He seemed surprised to see them, though Sorochi was unsure why. "Wizard Donald. Come with us, we'll take you to the King." Donald headed back to the door he'd came from, Sorochi and Kairi close behind. The two teens looked at each other, both of them confused by what they'd seen so far. Goofy picked up with Donald, managing to get slightly ahead of the duck due to his size.

"So why're ya here?" Goofy questioned, looking back over his shoulder.

"Master Denik sent us here." Kairi was the one to answer. Donald stopped abruptly in his tracks, almost tripping Sorochi and Kairi.

"Master Denik?"

"Yes. Castrum de Lumine's been assaulted by the Heartless." Kairi stepped beside the duck to see the worried look forming across his bill.

"The Heartless… we have to get to the King!" Donald took off down the hall, legs swinging in his odd waddle. Goofy, hand on his helmet, took off after him. Sorochi and Kairi broke into a jog through the long marble halls. They entered a hall in the front center of the castle. The massive arch windows looked out at the castle's defensive wall and deep moat. The sun rose high above the day, the time not far off from the teens' home-world. Donald and Goofy slid to a halt at a massive white door. The handles were high above the group's heads.

"How are we gonna get this open? Donald?" After no response, Sorochi looked down to see a regular door opened before him. "Oh." Sorochi chuckled and stepped through, his jaw almost dropping from the sight. The room dwarfed the throne room in the Castrum, a line of pillars reaching a couple hundred feet to the ceiling at the end of each room. A gold-trimmed red carpet led to the back of the room, where a gold throne, topped with a statue of a seated mouse, sat before a grey, marble sculpture. Three of the strange symbols, matching the mouse statue's head, were engraved in pillars, which led to a wave of arches. Four pillar designs rose up to the top of the grey sculpture. A deep purple crown symbol sat between the two center pillars, high above the throne. In front of a gargantuan window above flew a gold-trimmed red banner, the black mouse symbol positioned in the center. On the left of the sculpture stood a smiling statue of Donald, brandishing a curved staff and starred magician's hat. On the right stood a statue of an armored Goofy, visor covering his eyes and a heart-shaped shield in hand. In front of the statue sat another throne, this one occupied by a calm and patient mouse. Dressed in a flowing pink dress, massive red bow at her back, the mouse rose to her feet. Her gold crown was completed with a red mouse symbol.

"My Queen." Donald fell to one knee, Goofy wobbly following suite. Sorochi and Kairi quickly got on one knee after looking unsurely at the knight and mage before them.

"Rise. What is it you need, boys?" The Queen's voice was high-pitched, as Sorochi had expected, but warm and sincere.

"We wish to see the King, your Highness," answered Goofy, rising to his feet.

"I'm afraid the King has gone to his studies. Who are these fine warriors you've brought?" The Queen turned her attention to Sorochi and Kairi, looking them over.

"Master Denik sent them. They say Castrum has been attacked, m'lady." Donald explain, also rising to his feet.

"The Heartless?" Sorochi and Kairi both gave a nod. "Oh dear. What are your names?"

"Sorochi."

"Kairi, m'lady."

"Please, call me by my name; Minnie. My husband is down in his study." Minnie stepped over to the King's throne and swiped her hand across the right armrest. The carpet in front of the group retracted and revealed a parting floor. Stairs extended from the newly made ledge in front of them, connecting with a carpeted hall below. "Feel free to head down. Just knock twice and he will let you in."

"Thank you," Kairi briefly bowed to the Queen with a smile. Sorochi led the way down the stairs, where torches lit up as the teens approached the hall. The carpet was a nice change from the abundance of stone and marble floors they were used to walking on. The door ahead of them bore the same mouse symbol as much of the castle. Sorochi approached the door and looked nervously back at Kairi. Kairi gave a nod and the boy knocked twice. The door opened briskly and revealed a room full of scattered books and crudely organized bookshelves. Brooms swept by, wooden arms holding books, buckets of water, and wadded up scraps of paper. At a table, back turned to the door, stood another mouse, this one leaned over a large, dusty book. His sliver-trimmed red and black jacket waved softly from the air vent positioned just above the mouse. His tail flicked back and forth as he muttered to himself, paying little mind to the teens.

"Hello?" Sorochi finally spoke, causing the brooms to turn to him.

"Oh, forgive me! I've busied myself pouring over this ancient text too much these days." The mouse turned around, a smile on his face when he saw his visitors. "Hello. I am King Mickey Mouse." Surprisingly the mouse held out his gloved hand to shake. Sorochi took it and was surprised by the King's strong grip despite his size. Mickey gently took Kairi's hand and the girl gave a small curtsy in respect. "What can I do for ya?"

"Master Denik sent us here. He wanted us to find you." Sorochi answered. The mouse's grin lowered to a firm line and he paced to the table.

"The Heartless have returned, huh?"

"Yes, sir. They assaulted Castrum. The whole city may be lost, it didn't look good."

"This is grave news… grave news, indeed."


	6. Announcement

**Hello, readers! **

**I hope you have been enjoying Equilibrium! It has been a pretty productive few days and I am quite proud of what I've managed to create. First I want to say that I do not own any canon characters, such as Riku, Kairi, the Heartless, etc. All canon characters belong to Square Enix, Disney, and From Software. **

**Second, I would like to say that Chapter 5 will be the last for… I'm not sure how long. I have summer reading assignments to do before school starts back up. I have three books to read with a report needed on each. That being said, I'm going to devote a majority of my time to that. I am hopefully going to finish within a reasonable timeframe and get back to this story. Do not fret, I shall continue the story, I'm just not sure how long it will be until Chapter 6. **

**I hope you all understand and, once again, I hope you have enjoyed what has been posted so far. For now, this is goodbye, but I shall return!**

**Keep your heads up and always follow the light!**

**- Jake **


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